From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – Three Vikings were named to the NSAA Baseball All-Conference Teams on Thursday night as the North Star Athletic Association announced its postseason baseball awards in Forest City, Iowa.
VCSU senior David Demeter was named 1st Team All-Conference while sophomores Avery Bennefeld and Dustin Mertz were both named 2nd Team All-Conference. Seniors Drew Nixon and Will Hlady earned Honorable Mention All-Conference, and Jayden Shipman was named VCSU’s Champion of Character.
The announcement was made at the NSAA Baseball Awards Ceremony, which was held Thursday night in Forest City, Iowa, ahead of the NSAA Tournament starting there Friday. VCSU is the No. 5 seed for the 8-team double-elimination tournament and faces No. 4 seed Waldorf at 12 p.m. on Friday.
Demeter is putting together one of the best all-around seasons in school history, primarily playing third base but also serving as the team’s closer. He is batting a team-best .385 this season with a .500 on-base percentage and an .863 slugging percentage. He’s hit 13 home runs and 13 doubles, and has driven in a team-high 47 runs. On the mound, Demeter has picked up seven saves – the second most in school history.
Demeter currently leads the conference in saves and slugging percentage. He also ranks second in home runs and is third in RBIs. If the season ended today, Demeter would have Top 5 marks in school history in saves, RBI, home runs and slugging percentage.
Bennefeld and Mertz have been consistent hitters at the top of VCSU’s lineup this season. Bennefeld is batting .340 with nine doubles and 19 RBIs. He has a .455 on-base percentage – second on the team. Mertz is hitting .345 this season with five home runs and 26 RBIs. He has also drawn 21 walks en route to a .453 on-base percentage.
Nixon is batting .323 this season with five home runs and 23 RBIs, and he has a .413 on-base percentage. Hlady has been VCSU’s most consistent starting pitcher in conference play, racking up a team-high 55.2 innings pitched. Hlady has a 4-4 record and is averaging 10.83 strikeouts per nine innings (67 total strikeouts).
Below are the complete listings of All-Conference Teams selections, postseason awards and Gold Glove team:
2022 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference First Team
| Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
| C | Brenton Davis | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Raymond, Neb. |
| C | Alan LaRocque | Junior | Mayville State (N.D.) | Great Falls, Mont. |
| 1B | Alex Stufft | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Temecula, Calif. |
| 2B | Josh Vaughn @ | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Boise, Idaho |
| 3B | David Demeter # | Senior | Valley City State (N.D.) | Santa Barbara, Calif. |
| SS | Alec Ackerman | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Parker, Colo. |
| INF | Damien Sanchez | Sophomore | Waldorf (Iowa) | Riverside, Calif. |
| DH | Kameron Bryant | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D..) | Fresno, Calif. |
| OF | Kanta Kobayashi | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Tokyo, Japan |
| OF | Conner Barnett @ | Sophomore | Bellevue (Neb.) | Papillion, Neb. |
| OF | Carson Lundmark | Freshman | Mayville State (N.D.) | Spokane Valley, Wash. |
| OF | Mason Macaluso # | Sophomore | Dakota State (S.D.) | Gilbert, Ariz. |
| SP | Elijah Johnson | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Omaha, Neb. |
| SP | Blake Crippen | Sophomore | Bellevue (Neb.) | Hillsboro, Ore. |
| SP | Braxton Greenburg | Freshman | Mayville State (N.D.) | Plymouth, Minn. |
| SP | McGrane Pledger @ | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Walnut Creek, Calif. |
| RP | Connor Cory | Sophomore | Mayville State (N.D.) | Wawanesa, Man., Canada |
2022 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Second Team
| Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
| C | Ryan McDaniel @ | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D.) | Firestone, Colo. |
| C | Derrick Calvillo @ | Junior | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Tucson, Ariz. |
| 1B | Avery Bennefeld | Sophomore | Valley City State (N.D.) | Valley City, N.D. |
| 2B | Kendal Hofer | Sophomore | Viterbo (Wis.) | Washington, Ill. |
| 3B | Dawson Cortese | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Laurel, Mont. |
| SS | Chris Burke | Junior | Dakota State (S.D.) | Temecula, Calif. |
| INF | Zach Diehl | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Eugene, Ore. |
| DH | Mathieu Sirois | Freshman | Bellevue (Neb.) | Quebec City, Que., Canada |
| OF | Andrew Ishii | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Salem, Ore. |
| OF | Josh Fussy | Junior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Buffalo, Minn. |
| OF | Thomas Capllonch # | Junior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Kailua, Hawaii |
| OF | Dustin Mertz @ | Sophomore | Valley City State (N.D.) | West Fargo, N.D. |
| SP | JD Kirchner | Sophomore | Dakota State (S.D.) | Lennox, S.D. |
| SP | Will Clair | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D.) | Casper, Wyo.. |
| SP | Jacob Scully | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Florence, Mont. |
| SP | Brannan Hogan | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Waukon, Iowa |
| RP | Cole Westerlund | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D.) | Gilbert, Ariz. |
@ – 2021 NSAA Baseball All-Conference First Team
# – 2021 NSAA Baseball All-Conference Second Team
* – 2019 NSAA Baseball All-Conference First Team
$ – 2019 NSAA Baseball All-Conference Second Team
2022 NSAA Baseball Postseason Awards
Player-of-the-Year: Alec Ackerman – Bellevue (Neb.)
Pitcher-of-the-Year: Elijah Johnson – Bellevue (Neb.)
Newcomer-of-the-Year: Kanta Kobayashi – Bellevue (Neb.)
Coach-of-the-Year: Duane Monlux – Bellevue (Neb.)
2022 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Gold Glove
| Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
| C | Ryan McDaniel | Sophomore | Dakota State (S.D.) | Firestone, Colo. |
| 1B | Alex Stufft | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Temecula, Calif. |
| 2B | Davis Churchman | Freshman | Waldorf (Iowa) | Ankeny, Iowa |
| 3B | Zach Diehl | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Eugene, Ore. |
| SS | Alec Ackerman | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Parker, Colo. |
| LF | Cade Ostenson | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Newcastle, Wyo. |
| CF | Kanta Kobayashi | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Tokyo, Japan |
| RF | Conner Barnett | Sophomore | Bellevue (Neb.) | Papillion, Neb. |
| P | Elijah Johnson | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Omaha, Neb. |
2022 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Honorable Mention
Bellevue (Neb.): Alexandro Celiceo (RP), Bailey Link (RP)
Dakota State (S.D.): Mitsuki Shimonishi (P), Walker Hultgren (OF)
Dickinson State (N.D.): Jacob Clinton (OF), Jonathan Lerma (SP)
Mayville State (N.D.): Jared McCorrister (DH), Anthony Villanueva (OF)
Presentation (S.D.): Matthew Womack (1B), Francisco Avena (SP)
Valley City State (N.D.): Drew Nixon (OF), Will Hlady (SP)
Viterbo (Wis.): Brandon Jaenke (RP), Blake Warner (DH)
Waldorf (Iowa): Jamie Olson (SP), Sam Jones (SP)
2022 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Champions of Character Recipients
Bellevue (Neb.): Cade Sakamoto
Dakota State (S.D.): Jackson O’Neal
Dickinson State (N.D.): Angel Faras
Mayville State (N.D.): Brodey Rochell
Presentation (S.D.): Ethan Leech
Valley City State (N.D.): Jayden Shipman
Viterbo (Wis.): Eric Taylor
Waldorf (Iowa): AJ Oddo