DWU baseball's Mason Riley earns all-GPAC Gold Glove team selection

May 5—SIOUX CITY, Iowa. — A Gold Glove team selection for junior outfielder Mason Riley highlighted the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team's recognition, as the Great Plains Athletic Conference announced its annual postseason honors on Monday.

Riley, a Sioux Falls Jefferson graduate, anchored the Tigers defensively in left field throughout the spring, earning a spot on the GPAC Gold Glove team as selected by the league's coaches. At the plate, Riley hit .281 and posted a .360 on-base percentage while driving in a team-high 32 RBIs. He also led the Tigers with 10 home runs, providing consistent power in the middle of the lineup. In the field, Riley had a .984 fielding percentage with 58 putouts and only one error on the season.

Four additional Tigers earned GPAC honorable mention recognition for their efforts. Senior pitcher Alex Mizsak, out of Jordan, Minnesota, headlined the group after serving as the team's ace. Mizsak logged 79.2 innings on the mound, finishing with a 5.87 earned-run average and a 1.48 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) while striking out a team-best 65 batters. He compiled an 8-2 record on the season, tying for second-most wins in the conference.

Caleb Meyers, a junior two-way standout from Farmington, Minnesota, made his mark both on the mound and at the plate. As a pitcher, Meyers recorded 63 strikeouts and picked up three wins. Offensively, he led the team with a .300 batting average, while adding 29 RBIs and four home runs.

Senior Dexter Payne, a Sioux Falls Roosevelt graduate, was also recognized for his dual contributions. Payne hit .295 with 30 RBIs and three home runs, while also tallying 40 strikeouts and two wins as a pitcher. He posted a career-best 4.38 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in his final season.

Rounding out DWU's honorees was senior infielder Kelbee Woodham of Chipley, Florida. Woodham batted .279 with 18 RBIs and four home runs, providing steady production in the Tigers' lineup throughout the season.

For the major conference individual awards, Briar Cliff's Cade Marquardt was named GPAC player of the year, while Concordia's Alex Johnson earned pitcher of the year honors. Morningside's Romani Perez was selected as freshman of the year, and Doane head coach Josh Oltmans was named coach of the year.

Doane won the GPAC tournament championship on Monday with a 17-16 victory over Concordia in 10 innings. Both programs will advance to the NAIA tournament, which begins May 11.