Six Tigers earn All-GPAC accolades as DeMers collects All-GPAC Second Team honors

MITCHELL, S.D. – Under the direction of first-year head coach Charlie Dubanoski, six members of the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball program were selected to the 2021 All-GPAC Team according to the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.) highlighted the all-conference selections for Dakota Wesleyan as he was tabbed to the All-GPAC Second Team while five other Tigers were allocated with All-GPAC Honorable Mention status including Cameron Quigley (Newcastle, Wyo.), Jared Jones (Edmond, Okla.), Daulton Wilcoxen (Council Bluffs, Iowa), Luke LeMay (St. Paul, Minn.) and Ethan Davis (Billings, Mont.).

 DeMers, who also received All-GPAC Second Team honors at the conclusion of the 2019 season, made 40 starts this year as he logged a .355 batting average and led DWU in both plate appearances and hits. The Tiger outfielder recorded 141 trips to the plate and 50 hits including a season-high four hits versus Mount Marty University.

 The Winner, S.D., native also tallied 35 runs scored along with 25 RBIs, 11 walks drawn, nine doubles and a pair of homeruns. At the left-field position, the Dakota Wesleyan senior compiled 68 putouts and two assists.

 Fellow Tiger outfielder Quigley collects his first all-conference honors after ending the season ranked top-10 on the conference leaderboards in runs scored, runs scored per game and on-base percentage. The 5-foot-9 centerfielder dialed 44 runs scored in 40 games this year while upholding a .448 on-base percentage.

 At the plate, Quigley paced the Blue and Gray in walks drawn with 26 base on balls while also amassing 46 hits, 10 doubles and two homeruns in 136 plate appearances. Defensively, the Newcastle, Wyo., native ended the year with a .989 fielding percentage and 90 putouts.

 In his first season with Dakota Wesleyan, Jones ended his senior campaign ranked ninth nationally in inning pitched per contest at 6.59 innings per outing. He also fanned a team-high 42 batters, including a season-high nine batters versus Midland University, en route to a 5-3 record on the bump. Offensively, Jones logged 15 RBIs in 63 trips to the plate along with 12 hits, four doubles and a trio of homeruns.

 Also in his inaugural season with DWU, Wilcoxen led Dakota Wesleyan in both homeruns and RBIs with 5 and 31, respectively. The junior infielder recorded four or more RBIs in three outings this season and was top-10 in the conference in RBIs per contest. Wilcoxen also tallied 36 hits, 20 runs scored and six doubles in 32 starts at the first-base position.

 In his first action with Dakota Wesleyan, LeMay ended the 2021 campaign ranked top-5 statistically in the conference in both triples and triples per game with four triples in 40 appearances. The 6-foot-1 infielder also logged a .500 slugging percentage in 136 trips to the plate and tallied 45 hits, 30 RBIs and 26 runs scored. Meanwhile, at the third-base position LeMay helped induce eight double plays and led the Tigers in assists with 71.

 Rounding out the all-conference honors for the Tigers, Davis compiled a 4-4 record on the mound as he logged 51.2 innings pitched. The Skyview High School product, who also received all-conference honors after the 2019 season, led the GPAC and finished third nationally in total walks allowed permitting just six walks over the course of nine starts. Davis led Dakota Wesleyan in punchouts per game as well with 5.67 strikeouts per contest and dialed a season-high eight strikeouts versus Morningside University.

 DWU completed the 2021 campaign with a 16-25 overall record and a 9-19 mark in conference play.