Alfred D. Boyer Stadium | Western Illinois University Leathernecks
Alfred D. Boyer Stadium | Western Illinois University Leathernecks
Western Illinois University baseball seniors J.R. Heavilin and Caden Kratz have been recognized for their performances in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon.
J.R. Heavilin, from Hopedale, Ohio, earned a spot on the OVC All-Conference First Team as a designated hitter. In his second season with Western Illinois, he started 45 out of 48 games and improved his batting average by over 65 points to .310. He also increased his home runs to six, doubles to eleven, and RBIs to twenty-nine. His slugging percentage saw a notable rise from .333% to .480%.
Caden Kratz received All-Conference Second Team honors in his final year at Western Illinois. The Mason City, Iowa native tied the school's record for saves in a season with nine and achieved a team-low ERA of 2.78. Kratz frequently pitched more than three outs per game and struck out three or more batters in seven appearances.
The OVC also announced other award recipients: Roman Kuntz from Morehead State was named Player of the Year; Jacob Weatherley from Little Rock was awarded Pitcher of the Year; Grant Parson from Southern Indiana took Freshman of the Year; and Chris Curry from Little Rock was honored as Coach of the Year.
Alerts Sign-up