University Center, Mich. - Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals had one of their best seasons over the last decade or two including two team and one personal single-season records being set. SVSU had seven of their players named to All-GLIAC teams at the conclusion of the regular season.
Tucker Roe, the redshirt senior second baseman, and the junior pitcher, Tyler McLaren, both made First Team All-GLIAC. Junior pitcher Hunter Merillat along with the junior outfielder Colin Cornwell and sophomore two-way Reed Raymond were named to the Second Team All-GLIAC. Raymond named as an outfielder. The last piece of the outfield in junior Jaccar Watkins along with redshirt sophomore Austin Schweiger, who was the designated hitter and first baseman, were both given Honorable Mention All-GLIAC.
Roe finished the season with his highest season batting average at .313. He was second on the team with 62 hits, one behind the leader Cornwell, and had two of his three home runs come against Grand Valley in the final weekend of the regular season and the GLIAC tournament.
McLaren held the best pitching record going 8-1, had the lowest ERA at 2.65, led the staff in strikeouts with 74, and pitched the most innings as he accumulated 74.2 innings pitched. The Cardinals went 12-2 on Fridays throughout the season and McLaren was a major factor in their success. He was the only pitcher on the staff with a complete game and had two of them.
Merillat was second in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and innings pitched. He struck out 70 over 63 innings as he went 6-1 on the year with a 3.29 ERA. The one-two combo of McLaren and Merillat became a deadly force for the Cardinals and helped save their bullpen with their workhorse mentality. The team had 392 strikeouts on the regular season to set the record with the two of them being responsible for 144 of them.
Cornwell had a great season at the plate. He led the Cardinals in batting average as he hit .342 and on-base percentage at a .430 mark. He also led the team in hits with 63, RBI with 46, was second in doubles with 16, walks with 28, and third in runs with 38. The stat sheet had Cornwell's name written all over it as he put up the best season of his Cardinal career.
Raymond played well both as an outfielder and a pitcher, but saw greater success at the plate and out in left field. He became a major power bat as he led the team in slugging percentage. 13 doubles, two triples, and four home runs throughout his 57 hits had him slugging .506 at the end of the year. He was also one of two starting nine that walked more than he struck out. 18 walks to 16 punchouts added to his on-base percentage and helped him score 34 runs on the year.
Watkins was the everyday center fielder as all three outfield spots earned All-GLIAC honors. Watkins set the school record for triples in a season with 8 as the team had 22 in total to set the team record. He was second on the team in runs with 43 and was the only one to steal double digit bases. 17 steals on 22 attempts made him a major threat on the bases. His speed and athleticism showed in the outfield as well. As the captain of the outfield, only two starters had better fielding percentage. The two were Cornwell in right field, and Schweiger who spent half the season as the designated hitter. Watkins committed one error in his 115 chances and had a highlight play robbing a home run against Findlay during the spring break trip.
Schweiger made a name for himself at the plate this season. He found himself as the DH with Martin Money being the everyday first baseman and showed why he deserved to stay in the lineup. 60 hits put him in third on the team along with five home runs to lead the team in long balls. None of them bigger than his go-ahead three-run bomb against Wayne State late in the season as they chased for the third spot in GLIAC standings. 35 RBI put him in third for the team. He also added some speed swiping three bags and notching two triples, one of which broke the team record.
The season didn't end how the Cardinals wanted but, under first year head coach Adam Piotrowicz, it was a season to be proud of. Six of the seven honored above are slated to return with Roe being the only senior.