Four members of the Valparaiso University baseball team received recognition as the Missouri Valley Conference unveiled its postseason awards on Tuesday.

Valpo’s list of honorees is headlined by redshirt freshman second baseman Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central), who achieved All-MVC First Team status. Junior pitcher Colin Fields (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) was tabbed to the All-MVC Second Team, while sophomore closer Bobby Nowak (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Kankakee) earned Honorable Mention. In addition, sophomore third baseman Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) earned a place on the MVC All-Defensive Team.

Tucker, who enjoyed four-hit games on three occasions this season, is hitting .374 overall and is in position to finish with Valpo’s best batting average since Ryan O’Gara hit .388 in 2010. Furthermore, Tucker finished MVC play with a .384 conference batting average after entering the season with a .188 career average over two injury-riddled seasons. The Beacon second baseman ranks second in the league in hitting at .374 and ninth in on-base percentage at .440. His conference-only average of .384 also ranks second in the league.

Fields leads the MVC and ranks 10^th in the nation with 109 strikeouts. He leads the MVC and ranks third nationally with 14.08 strikeouts per nine innings. His 109 strikeouts this season rank fifth in single-season program history, while his 259 career strikeouts also rank fifth in program lore.

Nowak has nailed down eight saves this season, one away from cracking the single-season top five in the program record book. He owns Valpo’s highest single-season save total since 2014 and ranks ninth in program history for career saves.

Hannahs posted a .948 fielding percentage in 135 chances at third base, posting 36 putouts and 92 assists while starting six double plays.

Tucker becomes just the second Valpo player to earn first team all-conference honors since the program joined the MVC and first since Blake Billinger in 2018. Hannahs adds to a trophy case that already includes 2021 MVC Freshman of the Year and 2021 All-MVC Second Team by becoming Valpo’s first MVC All-Defensive Team honoree since both Scott Kapers and Jayden Eggimann received that nod in 2018.

Valpo will open the MVC Tournament on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. vs. Indiana State with the winner advancing to the double-elimination portion of the event beginning on Wednesday in Springfield, Mo.

2022 All-Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Teams
First Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Connor O'Brien, Bradley @* Jr. 1B San Diego, Calif. (Rancho Bernardo)
Cole Moore, DBU + Jr. 1B Georgetown, Texas (McLennan CC)
Nolan Tucker, Valparaiso RFr. 2B Cedar Lake, Ind. (Hanover Central)
Brent Widder, Evansville Jr. 3B Sheboygan, Wis. (Sheboygan North)
Jordan Schaffer, Indiana State@ RSr. SS Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo)
Kaeber Rog, Southern Illinois Jr. SS Willemstad, Curacao (Trinity Christian Academy)
Ryan Wrobleski, DBU RSo. C Eden Prairie, Minn. (North Iowa Area CC)
Mark Shallenberger, Evansville Jr. OF St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis Priory)
Ryan Cermak, Illinois State @ So. OF Riverside, Ill. (Riverside-Brookfield)
J.T. Weber, Southern Illinois + Sr. OF Metropolis, Ill. (Massac County)
Matt Jachec, Indiana State RSo. SP Hampshire, Ill. (Hampshire)
Shane Gray, Evansville + Sr. SP West Jefferson, Ohio (West Jefferson)
Nick Smith, Evansville So. SP Boonville, Ind. (Boonville)
Matthew Steidl, Southern Illinois Jr. RP Gallatin, Tenn. (Pope John Paul II)
Chandler Arnold, DBU Jr. RP Mesquite, Texas (Odessa College)
@2021 First Team; + 2021 Second Team; *2019 First Team

Second Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Tanner Craig, Evansville $ 5th 1B Scottsburg, Ind. (Austin)
Josue Urdaneta, Indiana State RSo. 2B Maracaibo, Venezuela (Avant Garde Academic)
Miguel Santos, DBU So. 2B Fort Worth, Texas (McClennan CC)
Grey Epps, Southern Illinois Sr. 2B Clarksville, Tenn. (Rossview)
Ryan Rodriguez, Southern Illinois Jr. 3B Cathedral City, Calif. (Rancho Mirage)
Luke Heefner, DBU Fr. 3B Cedar Hill, Texas (Homeschool)
Simon Scherry, Evansville ^ So. SS Santa Claus, Ind. (Heritage Hills)
Drake Baldwin, Missouri State + Jr. C Madison, Wis. (Madison West)
Jace Grady, DBU + So. OF Austin, Texas (Elgin)
Spencer Nivens, Missouri State RFr. OF Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge)
Seth Gergely, Indiana State RJr. OF Tallmadge, Ohio (Sinclair CC)
Jacob Kisting, Bradley Fr. SP Verona, Wis. (Verona Area)
Jared Hart, Illinois State Jr. SP Cedar Park, Texas (Wabash Valley CC)
Colin Fields, Valparaiso Jr. SP Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville)
Trey McDaniel, Southern Illinois +& Sr. RP Williamsville, Mo. (Greenville)
Drew Dominik, Evansville 5th RP Oak Forest, Ill. (Blackhawk CC)
^ 2021 Honorable Mention; +2021 Second Team; & 2019 Honorable Mention; $ 2019 Second Team

Honorable Mention Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Evan Berkey, Evansville Gr. 2B LaQuinta, Calif. (CSU-Bakersfield)
Nick Gile, Illinois State Sr. 3B Menomonee Falls, Wis. (Creighton)
Grant Wood, Missouri State Sr. 3B Jefferson City, Mo. (Jefferson College)
Keaton Rice, Bradley $ Sr. C Genesco, Ill. (Genesco)
Sean Ross, Indiana State RSr. OF San Diego, Calif. (Pensacola State College)
Eric Roberts, Evansville Sr. OF Hamilton, Ohio (Hamilton)
Nathan Bandy, Southern Illinois So. OF Mountain Home, Ark. (Providence Academy)
Ryan Vogel, Bradley So. OF Metamora, Ill. (Metamora)
Derek Salata, Illinois State Jr. SP Westchester, Ill. (Nazareth Academy)
Colin Wyman, Illinois State Gr. RP Pflugerville, Texas (Navarro College)
Nick King, Bradley Sr. RP Columbia, Mo. (Wabash Valley College)
Bobby Nowak, Valparaiso So. RP Cedar Lake, Ind. (Kankakee)
$2019 Second Team

All-Defensive Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Cole Moore, DBU Jr. 1B Georgetown, Texas (McLennan CC)
Greg Nichols, Illinois State So. 2B Roseville, Calif. (Sacramento City College)
Kaleb Hannahs, Valparaiso So. 3B West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo)
Luke Cheng, Illinois State So. SS Olney, Md. (Sherwood)
Grant Magill, Indiana State RSo. C Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista)
Nate Humphreys, DBU Fr. OF Midlothian, Texas (Midlothian)
Ryan Cermak, Illinois State So. OF Riverside, Ill. (Riverside-Brookfield)
Seth Gergely, Indiana State RJr. OF Tallmadge, Ohio (Sinclair CC)
Matt Jachec, Indiana State RSo. SP Hampshire, Ill. (Hampshire)

JOE CARTER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kaeber Rog, Southern Illinois

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Nick Smith, Evansville

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Kaeber Rog, Southern Illinois

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Luke Heefner, DBU

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryan Cermak, Illinois State

DAN CALLAHAN COACH OF THE YEAR
Wes Carroll, Evansville