Myles Beale and Jayden Dentler Each Named GLIAC Baseball Freshman of the Year - NU Places Nine On All-GLIAC Team
MIDLAND, MICH. – The Northwood University baseball team was well represented on the All-GLIAC teams, the league announced Thursday (May 12).
Myles Beale earned GLIAC Freshman Player of the Year while Jayden Dentler was named the Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Each also earned Second Team All-GLIAC. Sophomore pitcher Derek Clark and senior catcher Khale Showers each were named First Team All-GLIAC. Beale and Dentler are joined on the Second Team by third baseman Joey Johnston, outfielder Jacob Rybicki, and designated hitter Matt Magno. Second baseman Rhett Evans and pitcher Drew Schultz were named Honorable Mention.
Beale is the third student-athlete in Northwood history to earn GLIAC Freshman Player, joining Matt Shields (2005) and David Vinsky. He ended the regular season batting .313 with five home runs and 42 RBIs while playing all three outfield positions. Beale ranks among conference leaders in runs (49 – fifth), triples (4 – fourth), runs scored (49 – fifth), stolen bases (17 – fourth) and RBIs (10th). He has registered at least one hit in 12 of his last final 14 games, including the last seven in a row.
Dentler is the second straight Northwood pitcher to earn GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year, joining teammate Derek Clark from a year ago. Dentler became an immediate force for Northwood on the hill this season, ending the regular season with a 6-2 record and a 2.16 ERA. He currently ranks first in the conference in innings pitched (79.1) while standing second in ERA (2.16), fourth in wins and third in strikeouts (61). He tossed at least six innings in all six of his conference starts.
Clark turned in his second straight big season for Northwood on the mound, finishing the year with a 6-2 record and a 3.49 ERA. Clark ended the year with six complete games, which is three more than anyone else in the conference and ranks him 11th in Division II. He also ranks fourth in the conference in wins and fifth in ERA. In two seasons at Northwood, Clark is now 13-4 with a 3.36 ERA.
Showers has made his final season at Northwood his best, currently standing with a .347 average with nine home runs and 43 RBIs, He has been even better in conference play where he is batting .389 with eight home runs. In conference play, Showers ranks first in home runs and RBIs (34) while standing third in hits (37), runs (27) and slugging percentage (.726).
Johnston broke through this season, ending the regular season batting .321 with three home runs and 40 RBIs. His 30 RBIs in GLIAC play is good for third overall, while is .500 GLIAC on-base percentage is second overall. In total, Johnston ranks in the top-10 in conference games in 12 different offensive categories.
Rybicki finished the season strong to finish with a .280 average with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. For the second straight season, Rybicki led the GLIAC in stolen bases with 22. In GLIAC play, he ranked third in home runs (six) and ninth in slugging percentage (.597). Six of his eight home runs came in the last 11 games of the season.
Magno claimed the 2022 regular season batting title in the GLIAC this season, hitting .396. He also added three home runs and 33 RBIs. Magno stands second in the GLIAC with 72 hits while ranking sixth in total bases (98) and slugging percentage (.538). His 72 hits this season are good for seventh on the Northwood single-season list.
Evans finished his junior season hitting .303 with four home runs and 40 RBIs. He finished the regular season ranked 13th in the GLIAC in RBIs and 12th in runs. Overall, Evans ranks in the top 16 in the conference in 10 categories.
Schultz had a big senior season for Northwood. After overcoming injuries in the season, he ended the year going 7-0 with a 3.54 ERA in eight starts. His seven wins overall and his five GLIAC wins both led the conference. His 3.82 conference ERA is good for eighth in the GLIAC. In conference play, he ranked seventh in strikeouts (29).
Northwood finished third in the GLIAC in the regular season, going 29-19-1 overall (15-9 in the GLIAC). NU is also ranked third in the current NCAA Midwest Regional Rankings. The Timberwolves will open play in the GLIAC Tournament Thursday night (May 12) against fourth-seeded Grand Valley State in an 8 p.m. game (ET).