INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Six Oakland baseball student-athletes garnered #HLBASE All-League recognition as Brandon Decker was named Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team honors, Brandon Heidal was named to the second-team and four freshmen were named to the All-Freshman Team.
 
Decker is the first Golden Grizzly to earn Pitcher of the Year honors since the team joined the league, and is the first player in Horizon League history to earn Relief Pitcher of the Year (2023) and Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons. The senior is the second separate player in Oakland's Horizon League history to earn a yearly award (Brandon Nigh, Freshman of the Year, 2022) and third Golden Grizzly as head coach Jordon Banfield won Coach of the Year in 2022.
 
The Farmington Hills, Mich., native earned the award after an impressive season on the bump both in a starting role and out of the bullpen. Decker amassed 28 appearances this season, which set a single-season school record, with 13 starts on the year. Amongst the starting rotation, he leads in ERA (5.47), wins (seven), innings pitched (102.0, single-season school record), saves (seven), strikeouts (104), least doubles (20), triples (one) and home runs (12) given up and leads opposing players batting average at a .258.
 
Overall in the Horizon League, Decker, who also was named All-League First Team as a starter, ranks in the top-10 in 14 separate categories, as he ranks: first in wins, saves, innings pitched, strikeouts and strikeouts looking (28), t-1st in fewest triples allowed, third in opposing batting average, t-3rd in fewest sacrifice flies allowed (three), fifth in ERA, t-7th in fewest walks allowed (32), t-8th in fewest runs allowed (62), ninth in fewest sacrifice bunts allowed (three) and t-9th in both fewest doubles allowed and fewest home runs allowed.
 
In league play, the senior ranks in the top-10 in 11 categories, where he ranks: first in innings pitched (77.0), strikeout (90) and strikeouts looking (23), saves (six), t-1st in wins (six) and fewest triples allowed (one), fourth in ERA (4.44) and opposing batting average (.246), t-9th in fewest sacrifice bunts allowed (three) and 10th in fewest sacrifice flies allowed (three) and fewest runs allowed (38).
 
Heidal earned second-team recognition for his second #HLBASE honors in his four years at Oakland, as the catcher was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2021. Already established as one of the best defensive catchers in the league, Heidal had a breakout season at the dish and remained lethal behind it.
 
The senior finished the regular season atop the Golden Grizzlies with a .358 batting average as he's one of three Golden Grizzlies to have played in all 56 games this season and only didn't start in one game. With 54 runs, Heidal is tied for the team lead and ranks second on the team with 72 hits. He's totaled 14 doubles, four triples and nine home runs for 40 RBI and leads the team with 40 RBI. Behind the dish, Heidal holds a perfect fielding percentage with 50 assists and 339 putouts, as he's only allowed seven passed balls and has caught 16 runners stealing with only 21 stolen bases allowed.
 
The catcher wraps up his senior season as he's a mere two games away from setting the all-time games played school record (school record, 207) and has set the all-time record for most putouts with 1,269. In a season, he approaches the single-season school record for most runs (school record, 56) and most hits (school record, 82).
 
In the Horizon League, overall, Heidal is first in hit by pitches (21), third in on base percentage (.484), t-4th in triples, t-5th in runs scored, seventh in batting average, hits and OPS (1.086) and 10th in walks (29). In league play, he's first in hit by pitches (12), third in on base percentage (.507), sixth in batting average (.381), t-6th in OPS (1.126) and triples (two) and 10th in slugging percentage (.619).
 
Behind the dish, Heidal has more than half less stolen bases against him than any other starting catcher with his 21, as the second fewest is 47. He ranks t-2nd amongst catchers for most runners caught stolen and is one of three players to hold a perfect fielding percentage overall and one of nine in conference play. Also in league play, Heidal has nearly three times less stolen bases against with 13, as the catcher closest has 31, and ranks first in fewest passed balls with just a pair.
 
Amongst the freshman, the Golden Grizzlies placed the most on the team with four, two times more than the team behind it, as Lucas Day, Shane McAlinden, Aidan Orr and Trent Rice were all recognized. Oakland has placed at least one freshman on the All-Freshman Team since it joined the league as this year's four marks the most freshman recognized in a single season.
 
At first base, Day has had an outstanding start to his collegiate career as he leads the team with 10 home runs, good for t-8th in the league, and is second on the team in RBI, good for t-9th in the Horizon League. The redshirt freshman also ranks 10th in the league in doubles with 15 and t-6th in walks drawn with 33, as he sits third in putouts with 376 and holds a .992 fielding percentage. With 59 hits, Day ranks second in total bases with 104 and has a .556 slugging percentage along with seven steals.
 
On the mound, McAlinden worked himself into the starting rotation with eight games started in 18 appearances. The freshman holds a 6.97 ERA with a winning record (3-2) in 60.2 innings pitched. The righty has only allowed 15 walks and has no wild pitches to his name as he's totaled 50 strikeouts on the season. Overall in the league, McAlinden ranks in the top-10 in nine separate categories and is in the top-three in three, most notably in fewest walks, with two more than the pitcher in first.
 
Rice, the outfielder out of Macomb, Mich., makes his presence known whenever he gets on the base pads as he sits third in the NCAA in stolen bases with 41, which has set the single-season school record, as he's only been caught stealing five times. In the league, Rice has 10 more stolen bases than Reggie Bussey who ranks second, and four more in conference play with 17. With three triples, Rice ranks t-9th for most in the league as he's tallied 42 hits on the season in 53 games played. On the field, Rice holds a near perfect fielding percentage with a .989 and has 83 total putouts.
 
At the designated hitter spot, Orr has played in more than half of the season's games with 30, along with 26 starts, and sits with a .347 batting average. With 33 hits, Orr has recorded 10 doubles, three triples and one home run for 22 RBI. The freshman has recorded more games with two or more hits than he has games without a hit and has stolen six bags with 17 walks drawn.
 
The Golden Grizzlies now gear up for postseason play as the No. 3 seed Golden Grizzlies face off against the No. 6 seed Youngstown State Penguins tomorrow (May 22) in the Horizon League Baseball Championship Tournament. The tournament is hosted by No. 1 seed Wright State and all games will be streamed live on ESPN+, as first pitch for the Golden Grizzlies first game is set for 3:00 p.m. ET.
 
2024 #HLBASE Awards
Player of the Year: Liam McFadden-Ackman, Northern Kentucky
Pitcher of the Year: Brandon Decker, Oakland
Reliever of the Year: Kevin Fee, Purdue Fort Wayne
Freshman of the Year: Alejandro Covas, Youngstown State
Coaches of the Year: Dizzy Peyton, Northern Kentucky and Alex Sogard, Wright State
Sportsmanship Award: Jacob Walker, Purdue Fort Wayne
 
All-League First Team
Sammy Sass, Wright State, C
Liam McFadden-Ackman, Northern Kentucky, 1B
John Odom, Northern Kentucky, 2B
Cleary Simpson, Northern Kentucky, 3B
Trey Law, Youngstown State, SS
Carson Hansen, Milwaukee, OF
Treyvin Moss, Northern Kentucky, OF
Ben Vore, Wright State, OF
Julian Greenwell, Wright State, DH/Flex
Luke Hansel, Milwaukee, SP
Tanner Gillis, Northern Kentucky, SP
Brandon Decker, Oakland, SP
Jacob Gehring, Youngstown State, SP
Kevin Fee, Purdue Fort Wayne, RP
 
All-League Second Team
Brandon Heidal, Oakland, C
Jay Luikart, Wright State, 1B
Jacob Walker, Purdue Fort Wayne, 2B
Patrick Fultz, Wright State, 3B
Boston Smith, Wright State, SS
Tyler Shaneyfelt, Northern Kentucky, OF
Justin Osterhouse, Purdue Fort Wayne, OF
Alejandro Covas, Youngstown State, OF
Sean Tillmon, Milwaukee, DH/Flex
Mitch Wood, Northern Kentucky, DH/Flex
Adrian Montilva, Milwaukee, SP
Clay Brock, Northern Kentucky, SP
Carter Sabol, Purdue Fort Wayne, SP
Cam Allen, Wright State, RP
 
All-Freshman Team
Jake Paulick, Northern Kentucky
Lucas Day, Oakland
Shane McAlinden, Oakland
Aidan Orr, Oakland
Trent Rice, Oakland
Justin Osterhouse, Purdue Fort Wayne
Chet Lax, Wright State
Cam Allen, Wright State
Alejandro Covas, Youngstown State