DII End of Year Awards

Nick Herfordt

Photo: Kolby Dougan (Pittsburg State Athletics)

NCAA DII

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Adam Paniagua, Regis Rangers

Regis’ Adam Paniagua senior catcher had a sensational season in which became the first Ranger to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year. His .970 slugging percentage is currently second in DII, and he is third in home runs with 27 and 18th in on base percentage at .534. His 195 total bases are also second nationally as he batted .448 on the year with 22 doubles and a triple. His patience at the plate earned him a combined 42 walks and HBPs compared to only 17 strikeouts in 201 at bats demonstrating an elite approach that made him a nightmare for opposing pitchers. Additionally, he currently is the only player at the level to reach 100 RBI.

In addition to his contributions at the plate, Paniagua also served as the Ranger’s regular catcher where he threw out 18 attempted base stealers, and also spent time filling in the outfield. His numbers also earned him consideration for the Golden Spikes Award as he was added to the watchlist midseason, placing him among the elite players across all levels of amateur baseball.

RUNNER-UPS

Jordan Williams has been the best player on the best team this season. In addition to batting .375 with 29 extra base hits, Tampa’s leadoff hitter has also stolen 69 bases and uses that speed and his strong arm to provide invaluable defense in the outfield.

Lubbock Christian senior third baseman Brevin McCool entered the NCAA postseason with a .412 batting average, 15 doubles, four triples and a thirty home runs to compile a .948 slugging percentage. He also walked 47 times to generate a .517 OB%.

Mackenzie Wainwright finished the regular season leading NCAA DII with 97 hits to generate a .427 batting average. He also had 22 doubles, six triples, 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases for Lenoir-Rhyne.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Kolby Dougan, Pittsburg State Gorillas

Pittsburg State was a surprise addition to the NCAA postseason this spring as their 39-10 record earned them their first invite since 2018. A large part of their success was due to the addition of Kolby Dougan to the pitching staff. The graduate student had thrown regularly out of the Kansas bullpen the past three seasons, but has been a starter for the Gorillas.

In ten starts Dougan has thrown 62 innings in which he has held opposition to a .150 batting average by only allowing 32 hits. He has only walked 16 batters for a miniscule 0.77 WHIP. Meanwhile he has struck out 102 batters (his 14.8 K/9 easily leads all of DII nationally) with a 2.03 ERA in route to earning honors as the MAIA Pitcher of the Year.

RUNNER-UPS

It’s unfortunate Franics Marion didn’t advance to witness Rijnaldo Euson once more on the mound. He was named the Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year after earning the 2024 Peach Belt honor last season. He threw a complete game in seven of 14 starts, struckout 114 batters in only 98 ⅓ innings, only allowed 77 hits and had a 3.20 ERA.

Westmont’s Ryan Humphreys missed the entire 2022 season due to injury, and most of the 2023 season before returning to the mound last season. This year he has a 2.44 ERA headed into the NCAA postseason with 107 strikeouts in 81 innings. His 54 hits allowed as generated a .184 batting average for opposition.

For the second season in a row, Maddox Long was named the Great American Conference Pitcher of the Year. He has a 1.82 ERA on the season which is fifth nationally, and his 117 strikeouts currently lead DII. In 99 innings he has only allowed 75 hits to limit opposition to a .211 average.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Louis Magers, Minnesota State Mavericks

Louis Magers earned All-NSIC First Team honors as a designated hitter with a .332 batting average and 20 home runs. He also had 13 doubles and a triple to generate a .714 slugging percentage. However, that was just a fraction of his contributions to MSU’ stupendous season.

Magers also made 10 starts on the mound and has a 2.72 ERA headed into the NCAA postseason. In 43 innings he has only allowed 29 hits for a .187 b/avg, and stuck out 35 batters while only allowing a pair of home runs. For his prowess as a pitcher, he was name to the All-NSIC Second Team as a pitcher.

His ability to contribute at the plate and the mound is a significant reason the team has a 49-6 record and made their 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament under his guidance of his father, head coach Matt Magers.

COACHES OF THE YEAR - Rick O'Dette, Florida Southern & Adam Skonieczki, Lenoir-Rhyne

After a challenging 18–30 campaign in 2024 that led to a coaching change, Florida Southern College turned to a familiar face from within the Sunshine State Conference—Rick O'Dette, formerly the head coach at Saint Leo University. In his first season at the helm of the Moccasins, O'Dette orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, guiding the team to a top-25 national ranking for most of the 2025 season. Under his leadership, Florida Southern produced eight All-Sunshine State Conference selections and one NCBWA All-South Region honoree.

Adam Skonieczki, meanwhile, was promoted to head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne after five years as an assistant. In 2024, the Bears went 0–2 in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and missed the NCAA postseason. Just one year later, Skonieczki has led the team to a 46–12 record and a spot among the final 16 teams in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. Lenoir-Rhyne finished second to Catawba in both the SAC regular season standings and the conference tournament, but their national performance speaks volumes about the team's growth under Skonieczki’s leadership. They’ll have an opportunity to avenge those second place finishes this weekend with the opportunity to advance to the Division II Baseball Championship.

RUNNER UPS

Adam Paniagua and Brevin McCool (listed in the Player of the Year section) have been two of the top hitters in DII this season. Without them in the lineup neither team would have achieved the same level of success this spring.

Wilmington was a stronger contender to head back to DII Baseball Championships for the first time since 2015 thanks in large part to Brandon Grygo. The sophomore CACC Tournament MVP is batting on the season with 18 doubles, seven triples and ten home runs to generate 136 total bases - 58 more than anyone else in the lineup. He is also leading the team with 21 stolen bases. He has also appeared in 11 games on the mound, throwing 29 innings in a dual role.

Northwood will be playing for the opportunity to advance to the DII Baseball Championships for the first time this weekend. The Wolves are led by outfielder Myles Beale who is leading the team in batting at .352, triples with three and home runs with six. He has a combined 57 walks and HBPs batting at the leadoff spot to compile a .492 on base percentage.

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