ST. PAUL, Minn.- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference announced their 2023 Postseason Baseball awards on Tuesday and the University of Northwestern Baseball team had five players represented.

• UMAC Press Release

Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights), who was named to the NCCAA North Central All-Region Second Team last week, picked up First Team All-UMAC honors for his performance this season. This is the junior's first All-Conference recognition of his career. Severson was named to the First Team as a utility player and that perfectly describes his role on the team this season. Severson played multiple different positions in the Eagle infield and hit in multiple spots in the lineup. Despite the changes, Severson's production never wavered. He hit a whopping .400 in UMAC play and finished with an OPS of 1.121. He had seven extra base hits consisting of four doubles, two triples, and a homerun. He drove in 16 runs and scored 13 of his own during conference play. He stole 11 bases in 11 attempts, never getting caught stealing. The junior was also a key piece to the Eagles' rotation as he started five conference contests and finished with an ERA of 3.28.

When you only play in half of the conference games and are still named First Team All-UMAC that means that you were dominant in the games you played in. Dominant is the best way to describe the 11 UMAC games that Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) played in. Before an injury cut his season short, Crabb was one of the best infielders in the conference as he claimed one of the infield spots on the All-Conference team. He hit .327 and scored 10 runs as he anchored the top of the Eagles' lineup. Crabb's defense up the middle was vital to the UNW infield as he picked up 28 assists and only made two errors in conference games. The upperclassman also robbed many opponents' of hits with spectacular plays up the middle. Crabb started three UMAC games on the mound and was stingy with the runs he gave up finishing with a 2.05 ERA. This is the third consecutive year that Crabb has been named First Team All-UMAC.

Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) picked up the first All-Conference recognition of his career as he was named Honorable Mention All-Conference for his contributions to the Eagle outfield this season. Karges was the top run producer for UNW in UMAC play this season leading the team with 18 RBIs. He had a batting average of .342 and an OPS of .948 which was due in large part to the pop that he showed in his bat. He led the team in extra base hits against conference opponents this season finishing with eight doubles, a triple, and two homeruns. He also showcased his speed as he stole six bases in UMAC play.

Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) picked up his second postseason award for his play in 2023 as he was named an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection in addition to his NCCAA All-Region Second Team honors he received last week. This is the first UMAC All-Conference award of his career. Due to injury, Drinken didn't make his season debut until April 10^th, but once he was back, he was back with a vengeance. He appeared on the mound in six conference games for the Eagles, which was tied for the second most on the team. Out of those six appearances, the junior made two starts and in the two starts, he pitched complete games. Drinken finished the UMAC season with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.00. He only gave up six earned runs and 22 hits in 32 innings. He had 30 strikeouts against only 10 walks. Drinken did it all for the Eagles' pitching staff as he made two starts but also picked up a save in conference play.

Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) was named a recipient of a UMAC Sportsmanship Award. Pilon was one of two Eagles who played in all 35 games this season and he provided high energy and good sportsmanship every time he was on the field. The sophomore is a great example of how to Compete With Purpose.

As these players celebrate their accomplishments from this past season, UNW Baseball has their eyes on the horizon. UNW announced yesterday that Jesse Eikum will be the new Eagle Head Coach after Dave Hieb stepped down after 28 seasons as the UNW skipper. The future is bright for Eagle baseball.