KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its 11th Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week award winners for the 2024 season.
Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week – Blake Mozley, Pittsburg State
Blake Mozley hit .588 with five extra-base hits and eight RBI while helping lead Pittsburg State to a 4-0 week with league wins over Emporia State and Missouri Western. In the Gorillas mid-week road win over Emporia State, the Ozark, Mo. native drove in four runs, including the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning. He then smacked the go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 5-5 tie and propel the Gorillas to an eventual 11-5 win over Missouri Western in game two of the MIAA series against the Griffons on Saturday (Apr. 13). Mozley also belted a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning of the Gorillas 9-4 series-opening win over the Griffons on Friday. For the week, Mozley had three doubles and two home runs among his 10 hits. He slashed .588/.650/1.118 in the Gorillas four games.
Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week – Connor Owens, Newman
Connor Owens tallied nine hits, including a double and two home runs, while driving in 14 runs over four games to help Newman to a 4-0 week with league wins over Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri. In 18 at-bats, Owens hit .500 while collecting seven RBI and scoring seven himself. The junior’s three-run homerun on Sunday helped propel the Jets past the Bearcats to finish off the MIAA series sweep. He also recorded three walks on the week for an astounding 1.480 OPS.
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Brady Gilmore, Central Oklahoma
Brady Gilmore made the start on Friday night for No. 18 Central Oklahoma. The junior right-hander was dominant in getting the Bronchos a shutout victory to open the series against Rogers State. Gilmore threw 6.0 innings, striking out eight batters, gave up three hits, issued one walk, and hit a batter. The junior right-handed pitcher never gave up a run as the Bronchos won 11-0 in seven innings.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Jett Buck – Washburn
Jett Buck batted .412 on the week and hit four home runs to help the Ichabods go a perfect 4-0 in MIAA play. Buck’s week was highlighted by a program-tying seven RBI while hitting two home runs in the Ichabods 12-7 win over Northwest Missouri. On the week, the junior compiled a 1.118 slugging percentage and a 1.562 OPS while driving in 10 total runs.
Will Doherty – Missouri Southern
Will Doherty helped the Lions to a big series sweep on the road against Northeastern State. At the plate, Doherty held a .500 batting average, collecting nine hits. Of those hits, two were doubles and one was a home run. He drove in eight runs on the week, scoring three himself.
Brady Miles – Northwest Missouri
Brady Miles cracked six home runs and drove in 10 runs with a 1.286 slugging percentage despite the Bearcats losing all five games this week. Miles had nine hits in 21 at-bats and he scored seven runs. The sophomore had a two-homerun day at Washburn last Tuesday as he went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored against the Ichabods. Miles then went 1-for-3 with a home run in a mid-week non-conference contest with William Jewell. Miles tallied another two-homer day on Saturday against Newman before he notched his first four-hit day of his Bearcat collegiate career in the series finale. Miles went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI against the Jets.
Pitchers
Gage Singer – Pittsburg State
Gage Singer limited Missouri Western to just two hits over 5.0 innings of work in making his fourth start of the season. The Aurora, Mo., native issued one walk and registered three strikeouts while tossing 49 pitches in the contest and limiting the Griffons to a .118 batting average. In 18.0 innings of work, he’s allowed just one earned run, seven hits and two walks (0.50 WHIP) with 26 strikeouts (13.0 strikeouts per innings pitched). Singer lowered his season ERA to 0.50 following the game against the Griffons.
Cole Gayman – Missouri Southern
Cole Gayman had another solid outing in the series opener at Northeastern State, helping the team to a sweep on the weekend. Gayman tossed 6.0 innings and got credit for the win. In the contest, Gayman gave up just one run on seven hits while striking out nine in the process.
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Travis Wiese (Missouri Western), Caden Robertson (Central Oklahoma), Isaiah Ural (Fort Hays State)
Pitchers: Andrew Prieve (Newman), Graham Brunner (Emporia State), Griffin Huiatt (Washburn)
2024 MIAA BASEBALL HITTERS OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE: Josh Holmes – Pittsburg State
WEEK TWO: CD White – Northeastern State
WEEK THREE: Karson Coffee – Pittsburg State
WEEK FOUR: Henry Kusiak – Missouri Southern
WEEK FIVE: AJ Folds – Rogers State
WEEK SIX: Max Holy – Central Missouri and Elliott Herrmann – Fort Hays State
WEEK SEVEN: Brennen van Breusegen – Central Missouri
WEEK EIGHT: Henry Kusiak – Missouri Southern
WEEK NINE: Brennen van Breusegen – Central Missouri
WEEK TEN: Garrett Rice – Missouri Southern
WEEK ELEVEN: Blake Mozley – Pittsburg State and Connor Owens – Newman
2024 MIAA BASEBALL PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE: Cole Gayman – Missouri Southern
WEEK TWO: Preston Giltner – Central Oklahoma and Ian Lanik – Emporia State
WEEK THREE: Cade Flaherty – Fort Hays State
WEEK FOUR: Quinn Mason – Northwest Missouri
WEEK FIVE: Alex Kafka – Pittsburg State
WEEK SIX: Cole Gayman – Missouri Southern
WEEK SEVEN: Cole Gayman – Missouri Southern
WEEK EIGHT: Cole Gayman – Missouri Southern
WEEK NINE: Racer Felter – Central Oklahoma
WEEK TEN: Casey Stalzer – Northwest Missouri
WEEK ELEVEN: Brady Gilmore – Central Oklahoma