Drey Jameson Honored as MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year
May 22, 2018 | Baseball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Four Ball State baseball players were named to the All-Mid-American Conference teams Tuesday afternoon, highlighted by Drey Jameson earning MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year accolades. The league's head coaches voted on the All-MAC teams.
Jameson was not only the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year, but Ball State's lone representative on the All-MAC first team. Fellow starting pitcher John Baker, shortstop Noah Powell and outfielder Jeff Riedel were selected to the All-MAC second team.
"These young men were very deserving of these MAC honors," head coach Rich Maloney said. "I'm happy for each of them as only a select few get recognized on the All-MAC teams. They continue the tradition of Ball State greats who have represented our program both on the field and in the classroom."
A native of Greenfield, Indiana, Jameson notched quality starts in six of his nine conference starts. In league games, Jameson ranked among the top four pitchers in ERA (2.08), opponent batting average (.171), strikeouts (70), wins (6) and runs allowed (15). The righty currently ranks second in the league and 28thnationally in strikeouts per nine innings (11.97). He tossed a complete-game shutout at Eastern Michigan on April 8. A few weeks ago at Ohio, Jameson piled up a season-high 12 strikeouts in a 15-1 victory. This past weekend, he held Western Michigan to one hit and one run in six innings of work.
Jameson is the second Ball State player to earn MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year since the award was created in 2014. Former Cardinal Zach Plesac took home the inaugural award in 2014.
Baker was the team's Friday starter this year and tallied five quality starts in nine MAC games. The sophomore currently ranks 15th nationally in strikeouts with 111, which also ranks fourth in Ball State's single-season record book. He leads the Cardinals in starts (14), complete games (2), innings pitched (88.0) and strikeouts (111).
Powell joined the squad in the fall after spending one season at Saint Joseph's College. He made an immediate impact on the team as he ranks second in batting average (.318), runs scored (43) and doubles (12). The sophomore had the game-winning home run in the sixth inning of Ball State's 2-0 win at Purdue on April 10. Last week, Powell came through with a walk-off single in the 3-2 win against Fort Wayne.
Riedel has been one of the top players in the league all season. The senior right fielder ranks among the top four players in the MAC in runs scored (49), hits (72), RBIs (48), triples (6) and total bases (114). He has hit safely in 39 of 51 games, including a team season-high 15-game hitting streak. Riedel leads the team in multi-hit games (21) and multi-RBI games (10). He tied an NCAA record with five doubles in the win at Western Carolina on March 9.
Ball State (31-24, 17-10 MAC) concluded the regular season by winning 12 of its final 14 league games. The Cardinals open play in the MAC Tournament against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, May 23, at 12:30 p.m. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
Jameson was not only the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year, but Ball State's lone representative on the All-MAC first team. Fellow starting pitcher John Baker, shortstop Noah Powell and outfielder Jeff Riedel were selected to the All-MAC second team.
"These young men were very deserving of these MAC honors," head coach Rich Maloney said. "I'm happy for each of them as only a select few get recognized on the All-MAC teams. They continue the tradition of Ball State greats who have represented our program both on the field and in the classroom."
A native of Greenfield, Indiana, Jameson notched quality starts in six of his nine conference starts. In league games, Jameson ranked among the top four pitchers in ERA (2.08), opponent batting average (.171), strikeouts (70), wins (6) and runs allowed (15). The righty currently ranks second in the league and 28thnationally in strikeouts per nine innings (11.97). He tossed a complete-game shutout at Eastern Michigan on April 8. A few weeks ago at Ohio, Jameson piled up a season-high 12 strikeouts in a 15-1 victory. This past weekend, he held Western Michigan to one hit and one run in six innings of work.
Jameson is the second Ball State player to earn MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year since the award was created in 2014. Former Cardinal Zach Plesac took home the inaugural award in 2014.
Baker was the team's Friday starter this year and tallied five quality starts in nine MAC games. The sophomore currently ranks 15th nationally in strikeouts with 111, which also ranks fourth in Ball State's single-season record book. He leads the Cardinals in starts (14), complete games (2), innings pitched (88.0) and strikeouts (111).
Powell joined the squad in the fall after spending one season at Saint Joseph's College. He made an immediate impact on the team as he ranks second in batting average (.318), runs scored (43) and doubles (12). The sophomore had the game-winning home run in the sixth inning of Ball State's 2-0 win at Purdue on April 10. Last week, Powell came through with a walk-off single in the 3-2 win against Fort Wayne.
Riedel has been one of the top players in the league all season. The senior right fielder ranks among the top four players in the MAC in runs scored (49), hits (72), RBIs (48), triples (6) and total bases (114). He has hit safely in 39 of 51 games, including a team season-high 15-game hitting streak. Riedel leads the team in multi-hit games (21) and multi-RBI games (10). He tied an NCAA record with five doubles in the win at Western Carolina on March 9.
Ball State (31-24, 17-10 MAC) concluded the regular season by winning 12 of its final 14 league games. The Cardinals open play in the MAC Tournament against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, May 23, at 12:30 p.m. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
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