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BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Bruins sweep major awards; have 11 chosen as All-NSAA, 4 as Gold Glovers

Bruins sweep major awards; have 11 chosen as All-NSAA, 4 as Gold Glovers

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The North Star Athletic Association Regular-Season Champion Bellevue University baseball team swept all four major awards in the NSAA's end of season awards program. The Bruins landed a conference-best seven players on the All-NSAA First Team and four more on the All-NSAA Second Team. Additionally, a league-high four Bruins earned mention on the NSAA Gold Glove Team.

Senior Derik Bontempo was named the NSAA Player of the Year, senior Ben McKendall was tabbed as the NSAA Pitcher of the Year, junior Colten Barnes was honored as the NSAA Newcomer of the Year, and head coach Duane Monlux earned distinction as the NSAA Coach of the Year.

The seven players selected as First Team All-NSAA included six seniors with catcher Jake Browne (West Richland, Wash.), second baseman Miles Campbell (New Cumberland, Pa.), outfielder Derik Bontempo (Federal Way, Wash.), outfielder Joe Moran (Scottsbluff, Neb.), pitcher Ben McKendall (Los Angeles, Calif.), and pitcher Todd Nicks (Bakersfield, Calif.) as well as junior pitcher Colten Barnes (University Place, Wash.).

Second Team All-NSAA selections were senior first baseman Todd Nicks (Bakersfield, Calif.) and a trio of juniors in third baseman Matt Evans (Omaha, Neb.), shortstop Diego Iribarren (Barquisimeto, Venezuela), and pitcher Zach Wilson (Denton, Texas).

BU players that were named to the Gold Glove Team were catcher Jake Browne (West Richland, Wash.), third baseman Matt Evans (Omaha, Neb.), right fielder Joe Moran (Scottsbluff, Neb.), and pitcher Ben McKendall (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Junior pitchers Max Dwyer (Vancouver, Wash.) and Reid Feeley (Tehachapi, Calif.) were both named as honorable mention selections.

Bellevue (47-7, 23-1 NSAA) begins their post-season journey tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Presentation College in the first round of the 2017 NSAA Baseball Tournament.

Below is the entire list of All-Conference and Gold Glove Winners:

2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference First Team

Pos. Name School Year Hometown
C Jake Browne Bellevue Senior West Richland, Wash.
C Quinn Irey Jamestown Junior Bismarck, N.D.
1B Brady Nygaard Mayville State Sophomore Mayville, N.D.
2B Miles Campbell Bellevue Senior New Cumberland, Pa.
2B Drake Yoshioka Mayville State Senior Waipahu, Hawaii
3B Sagan Osborne Dickinson State Senior Anchorage, Alaska
SS Jared Meiklejohn Valley City State Senior LaMoure, N.D.
IF Brady Anderson Valley City State Senior Jamestown, N.D.
DH Jose Guzman Mayville State Senior Hollister, Calif.
OF Derik Bontempo Bellevue Senior Federal Way, Wash.
OF Jacob Cuch Dickinson State Junior Aridrie, Alberta
OF Dondrei Hubbard Mayville State Junior Houston, Texas
OF Joe Moran Bellevue Senior Scottsbluff, Neb.
SP Ben McKendall Bellevue Senior Los Angeles, Calif.
SP Jerome Byndloss Jamestown Junior Las Vegas, Nev.
SP Todd Nicks Bellevue Senior Bakersfield, Calif.
SP Colten Barnes Bellevue Junior University Place, Wash.
RP Eric Evans Jamestown Senior Weyburn, Sask.


2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Second Team

Pos. Name School Year Hometown
C Riley MacDonald Waldorf Junior North Vancouver, B.C.
C Ben Bruenjes Valley City State Senior West Fargo, N.D.
1B Todd Nicks Bellevue Senior Bakersfield, Calif.
2B Peter Pennylegion Jamestown Junior Ferndale, Wash.
3B Matt Evans Bellevue Junior Omaha, Neb.
SS Diego Iribarren Bellevue Junior Barquisimeto, Venezuela
IF Landon Uetz Jamestown Senior West Fargo, N.D.
DH Garrett Jewell Winnipeg Junior Cambridge, Ont.
OF Taichi Sasaki Jamestown Junior Sakai, Osaka, Japan
OF Micquel Robinson Dickinson State Junior Las Vegas, Nev.
OF Ethan Bell Viterbo Senior Jacksonville, Fla.
OF Anthony Necochea Valley City State Senior Hemet, Calif.
SP Kody Rock Mayville State Senior Canora, Sask.
SP Zach Mahoney Mayville State Senior Fargo, N.D.
SP Andrew Frank Valley City State Junior Romoland, Calif.
SP Zach Wilson Bellevue Junior Denton, Texas
RP Jacob Torgerson Mayville State Senior Morris, Minn.


NSAA Baseball Postseason Awards

Player of the Year:  Derik Bontempo – Bellevue (Neb.)
Pitcher of the Year: 
Ben McKendall – Bellevue (Neb.)
Newcomer of the Year: 
Colten Barnes – Bellevue (Neb.)
Coach of the Year: 
Duane Monlux – Bellevue (Neb.)

2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Gold Glove Team

Pos. Name School Year Hometown
C Jake Browne Bellevue Senior West Richland, Wash.
1B Tyler Ludlow Jamestown Junior Port Orchard, Wash.
2B Peter Pennylegion Jamestown Junior Ferndale, Wash.
3B Matt Evans Bellevue Junior Omaha, Neb.
SS Jared Meiklejohn Valley City State Senior LaMoure, N.D.
LF Kory Wolden Jamestown Junior West Fargo, N.D.
CF Anthony Necochea Valley City State Senior Hemet, Calif.
RF Joe Moran Bellevue Senior Scottsbluff, Neb.
P Ben McKendall Bellevue Senior Los Angeles, Calif.
Senior