Ring Ceremony Honors 2023 Beaver Baseball Conference Champions
Title Represents First Repeat Championship since 1980, 1981 Teams Earned Rings
More than 100 student-athletes, alumni, parents, extended family members, and friends gathered on Jan. 20 in Siebens Fieldhouse as Buena Vista University celebrated the 2023 American Rivers Conference Baseball Champions.
The Beavers went 20-3 in league play and won the American Rivers Conference race by 3 ½ games. The title marked the 18th time a BVU baseball team has earned a regular-season league championship.
Having earned the 2022 conference championship, this occasion marked the first back-to-back league crowns in 42 years as the 1980 and 1981 Beaver baseball teams also earned that distinction.
The Beavers raced out to a 6-0 record in league play last spring. Then, after losing one game to Loras, BVU proceeded to win 11 games in a row and took a commanding lead in the American Rivers Conference standings with a 17-1 league record.
The conference title, coupled with a strong showing in nonconference contests, enabled the Beavers to earn a bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament. It marked the fifth national tournament berth for the program since 2010.
The Beavers finished 20 games above .500, winning 31 games against 11 losses. The 31-victory total is the fifth most in program history.
Coaches Steve Eddie ’00 MSE ’07, Steve Sonka, and Nate Hanner noted depth was a strength for the 2023 team as nine different Beaver players earned American Rivers Conference Player of the Week laurels.
“We will always remember the 2023 team for being so well-rounded. Having so many guys win weekly awards and postseason awards is a reflection on our depth,” Eddie remarked.
Twelve players earned All-Conference honors, including: Honorable Mention outfielder Tegan Bock, Honorable Mention relief pitcher Logan Lape-Brinkman, Second Team pitcher Mason Gehling, Second Team outfielder Drew Taylor, Second Team third baseman Logan Mueller, First Team utility player Calvin Harris, First Team DH Caden Mathewson, First Team shortstop Joel Garcia, First Team second baseman Jordan Mathewson, First Team first baseman Zack Beekmann, and First Team catcher Evan Taylor.
Additionally, Morgan Smith was named the American Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year, and Coach Eddie was tabbed as American Rivers Conference Coach of the Year.
“The most rewarding part of it all for me, is to see the success our graduates enjoy, not only the 2023 grads, but all those students and student-athletes who came before them.”
-Head Baseball Coach Steve Eddie
The following 2023 Beaver seniors graduated and moved on to their next phase of their lives and careers, now as BVU Alumni, including: Alex Martinez, Garrett Anderson, Jaden Walls, Kyler Corcoran, Dominic Roderick, Caden Mathewson, Logan Mueller, Spencer Holmes, Landon Howard, Aiden Brock, and Dalton Glenn.
“The most rewarding part of it all for me, is to see the success our graduates enjoy, not only the 2023 grads, but all those students and student-athletes who came before them,” Eddie continued. “Their experiences at BVU prepared them to be successful for life after college.”
The rest of the 2023 Buena Vista Beavers, all now possessing American Rivers Conference championship rings to commemorate their title, include: Cameron Amos, Kaden Barton, Seth Busch, Jake Butler, Mark Eddie, Jacob Eversole, Nolan Faber, Cayden Fischer, Josh Giefer, Ben Harkin, Christian Kaanapu, Levi Kennedy, Jaxon Kirchgatter, Carson Krogulski, Grant Oseka, Zach Pleggenkuhle, Brayden Polzien, Ben Raveling, Nick Ripple, Zach Saale, Peyton Thomas, Jaxon Van Pelt, Carter Washburn, and Connor Zegar.
While many members of the team have two championship rings to their credit, one BVU alumnus who excelled on the diamond has three title rings. Logan Mueller, a fifth-year senior starter on the 2023 team, was also a starter in 2022. Mueller was a freshman on the 2019 team that earned the American Rivers Conference Baseball Tournament Championship.
The 2024 Beavers open their season on Feb. 17 with a three-game series against Hamline University. Games will be played in Topeka, Kan.
The Beavers’ first home game takes place on March 22 as the Simpson Storm visit Storm Lake and the newly renovated baseball complex serving Storm Lake High School and Buena Vista University.