DICKINSON, N.D. – Valley City State University baseball had two First Team All-Conference selections in Nick Senn and Connor Martin, and two Second Team All-Conference selections Alexis Velasco and Takao Cookson the conference announced Wednesday
evening at the Buck Auditorium in Kleinfelter Hall on the campus of Dickinson State (N.D.). Martin was also named the Frontier Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year. Cody Wielgosh earned Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Martin leads the team in several pitching categories including wins (8), complete games (3), shutouts (2), Innings (80.0), ERA (3.60), and strikeouts (118). He is three behind the school record set by Darin Loe in 1987. His 118 strikeouts lead the NAIA as well. The sophomore is currently on a streak of 27 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
Joining Martin on the first team was junior Nick Senn, Martin's battery mate. Senn leads the team with a .389 batting average, a 1.086 OPS, 58 hits. He is tied with Velasco for the team leadership in home runs with eight. He is third in RBI with 35 and tied with Velasco with 92 total bases. Senn was also named Gold Glove winner behind the plate. He threw out twelve would-be base stealers and had a .988. fielding percentage.
Velasco was named Second team All-Conference for a second year in a row. The senior hit .314 with six home runs, a team leading 42 RBI and 20 doubles. His 20 doubles break the school mark of 19 that was set by Brady Anderson in 2017.
Junior starting pitcher Takao Cookson was also named Second Team All-Conference. Cookson was 6-4 on the season with 73 strikeouts in 67.2 innings. He had one save in his only relief appearance. He had one complete game in his 13 starts and a 5.45 ERA.
Cody Wielgosh was named Honorable Mention All-Conference in his junior year. He is second on the team with a .344 batting average, 55 hits, 40 runs scored, and 74 total bases. He hit four home runs and drove in 26 RBI. He led the team with 27 walks.
Viking outfielder Connor Hoyt was named VCSU's Champions of Character representative, an award which goes to student-athletes who represent the NAIA's five-core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
The Vikings are the No. 2 seed and will play the winner of the Dickinson State/Bismarck State game on Thursday, April 30th at 8:00 p.m. (Central Time)/7:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) in the Frontier Conference Baseball Postseason Tournament.
