[2023 MIAA Baseball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its Baseball Athletes of the Week for third week of competition in the 2023 season.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Nate Mieszkowski – Missouri Southern   
Over the course of four games, Nate Mieszkowski posted a .722 batting average, recorded 13 hits, scored 10 runs, had 10 RBI, four home runs, and two doubles for 27 total bases. The sophomore infielder also slugged for 1.500 and posted an on-base percentage of .700. Mieszkowski has now hit a home run in four straight games, had three or more hits in each game and scored in five straight games as well. Coming into the week, he was hitting just .290 and he is now at .449 which currently ranks sixth in the league.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Zac Shoemaker – Pittsburg State   
Zac Shoemaker limited the Sioux Falls to two hits in 5.0 innings of work. He issued one walk and registered 10 strikeouts to help lead the Gorillas to a 23-2 win. The Aurora, Mo., native held the Cougars batters to a .118 batting average. He is now 2-0 on the season with a 0.75 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 12.0 innings of work on the mound. Shoemaker posted his 21st career pitching victory with the win against USF.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Elliott Hermann – Fort Hays State
Elliott Herrmann drove in 10 runs and recorded a slugging percentage of .833 in a four-game series at Regis over the weekend. The first baseman crushed a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give the Tigers a 13-10 win in game two of the series. He totaled two home runs and one double on the week and matched his season-high with five RBI in game three of the series. Herrmann currently leads the MIAA in RBI (27), home runs (5), slugging percentage (.891) and OPS (1.445) this season.
 
Jenner Steele – Newman
Jenner Steele blasted three home runs while totaling nine hits and six RBI in the the Jets four-game series against Minot State. The senior posted a batting average of .642 and an OBP of .687. Steele had a slugging percentage of 1.286 and hit two of his three home runs in game four of the series. His nine total hits improved his batting average on the season to .485 which currently leads the MIAA.
 
Pitchers
Seth Stacey – Northeastern State
Seth Stacey went 122 pitches for a complete game, five-hit shutout in Northeastern State’s home opener against William Jewell. It was the first complete game shutout for an NSU starting pitcher since 2018. Stacey pitched to contact and did not allow an extra-base hit; the Cardinals had a runner in scoring position twice and stranded eight runners on base.
 
Cole Woods – Missouri Southern
Cole Woods picked up his second win of the season with an eight strikeout, one walk, 6.0 innings of work against McKendree. The senior pitcher now has 20 strikeouts from 15.1 innings and only three walks issued. In MIAA ranks he is tied for second in wins, tied for third in strikeouts looking, fourth for strikeouts and tenth for innings pitched.
 
Colton Anderson – Rogers State
Colton Anderson was dominant in the 8-3 win over Missouri-St. Louis in the second game of the doubleheader this past Saturday. The junior earned his first win of the season working 6.0 shutout innings out of the bullpen scattering four hits with six strikeouts and only allowed one walk.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Cal Watkins (Washburn), Trey Morris (Northwest Missouri), Prescott Horn (Rogers State), Jayden Singleton (Missouri Western), Carson Koffee (Pittsburg State), Isaiah Keller (Northeastern State)
 
Pitters: Zach Wiese (Northwest Missouri), JD McReynolds (Central Missouri), Nate Whitehill (Fort Hays State), Rane Pfeifer (Washburn), Ian Lanik (Emporia State)