GREENSBORO, N.C. - Brandon Heidal and
Brandon Decker were named to the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Midwest All-Region Second Team, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced yesterday.
The teams are voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America & Coach of the Year Committee. The Chair of the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America & Coach of the Year Committee is Tommy Raffo. The committee also includes Mitch Canham (Oregon State), Dean Ehehalt (Monmouth), Brian Green (Wichita State), Jeff Mercer (Indiana), Brian O'Connor (Virginia), Jim Penders (UConn), and Butch Thompson (Auburn).
Heidal and Decker become the first Golden Grizzlies to earn All-Region honors since 2017 and are the first pair of players in Oakland's history (DI) to be named All-Region, as it last happened in Division II in 1991. The catcher and pitcher duo are the 22nd and 23rd players to earn the honors, and fourth and fifth since transitioning to Division I.
Heidal, the catcher out of Anaheim, Calif., wrapped up his fourth and final season with the Golden Grizzlies as he set the program record for most games played in a career at 208. Also in the record book, career wise, Heidal ranks first in putouts (1,284), second in walks (105), sixth in at-bats (673), eighth in hits (194) and t-8th in runs (123).
At the end of his career, Heidal hit at a .288 clip with 34 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 106 RBI and a .405 on-base percentage. Touted as one of the best defensive catchers in the Horizon League during his time with the Golden Grizzlies, Heidal only allowed 16 passed balls, as he allowed none in 2022, and caught 69 runners stealing in his collegiate career.
This season, Heidal earned #HLBASE Second-Team honors and was named Batter of the Week twice. Heidal led the team in batting average and hit at a .360 clip and led the team with 76 hits. He tallied 15 doubles, four triples and nine home runs for 43 RBI and held a .483 on-base percentage.
Decker, who started and came out of the bullpen, wrapped up his third and final season with Oakland and inked his name in the Golden Grizzlies season and career record books. Decker ranks first in appearances with 29, first in innings pitched with 102.2, second in strikeouts with 105 and t-5th in saves with seven, all in 2024, while he sits t-2nd for most wins in a year with eight in 2023. Career-wise, in three seasons Decker sits second in saves with 16, third in wins with 19, fourth in strikeouts with 219 and fifth in innings pitched with 222.2. In his career, Decker went 19-13 with a 4.97 ERA in 81 appearances and 15 starts and held his opponents to a .246 batting average.
The 2024 #HLBASE Pitcher of the Year recipient and first-team selection wrapped up the season with a 5.44 ERA and a 7-6 record in his 29 appearances. With seven saves in 102.2 innings pitched, the Farmington Hills, Mich., native only gave up one triple and held his opponents to a .258 batting average. Decker, who won #HLBASE Relief Pitcher of the Year last season (2023), became the first player in Horizon League history to earn Relief Pitcher and Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and was the first Golden Grizzly to earn Pitcher of the Year honors.
