OKLAHOMA CITY – Greyson Barrett from Texas Wesleyan became the Sooner Athletic Conference baseball player of the year.
The Rams' Bobby Garza hauled in the Denney Crabaugh SAC coach of the year accolade, while Oklahoma City University's Eli Davis snared the conference pitcher of the year for the second year in a row. The all-SAC baseball included conference newcomer of the year (Wayland Baptist's Samuel Fabian) and freshman of the year (Southwestern Christian's Dario Paredes) honorees for the first time.
Barrett completed the regular season as the NAIA's leader in runs batted in. Barrett, a senior outfielder from Bakersfield, Calif., has posted a .397 batting average, 20 home runs and 84 RBIs this year. Barrett has produced 75 hits, 56 runs scored, 16 doubles and two triples, ranking 11th in homers and 13th in slugging percentage (.820) among the NAIA in 2023.
On April 7, Barrett pounded a season-high three homers with eight RBIs at Central Christian. Barrett garnered his second career SAC player of the week award for April 3-9.
SAC coaches named Barrett among five unanimous all-conference performers on the first team – Davis, Southwestern Assemblies of God pitcher Michael Watson, Mid-America Christian catcher Yan Ely Adames and Texas Wesleyan designated hitter Kevin Santiago Zamora.
Davis rates among the nation's leaders in earned run average and strikeouts this season. Davis, a senior left-hander from Shawnee, Okla., ranks third with a 1.86 ERA and second with 118 strikeouts. Davis has turned in a 10-2 record and four complete games in 87 innings pitched. He struck out 10 or more batters four times, including a season-high 14 in a one-hit complete-game shutout of Panhandle State on March 25. Davis, a preseason NAIA all-American, collected two SAC hurler of the week accolades.
Fabian has supplied Wayland Baptist with a .333 average, 21 homers, 52 RBIs and 11 doubles this year. Fabian, a sophomore from Santiago, Dominican Republic, paced the Pioneers with a .799 slugging percentage. He crushed four homers with seven RBIs against Mid-America Christian on April 8. He reeled in one conference player of the week nod this season.
Paredes produced a .455 average, 16 homers, 85 RBIs, 15 doubles and a triple in 2023. Paredes, a freshman from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, drove in a season-high seven runs April 18 at Randall and hit two homers on two occasions this year.
Garza directed the Rams to their first SAC regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Texas Wesleyan (36-13, 18-6 SAC) wrapped up the league regular-season crown with a three-game sweep on the final weekend of the season at Mid-America Christian. Garza owns a 187-90 mark (.675 winning percentage) in his sixth year as Texas Wesleyan's head coach.
The all-SAC second team included three unanimous choices – Texas Wesleyan catcher Carson Cheaney, Oklahoma City first baseman Trent Kiraly and Mid-America Christian shortstop Carlos Medina.
| 2023 All-Sooner Athletic Conference Baseball |
| Player of the Year: Greyson Barrett, Texas Wesleyan |
| Pitcher of the Year: Eli Davis, Oklahoma City |
| Newcomer of the Year: Samuel Fabian, Wayland Baptist |
| Freshman of the Year: Dario Paredes, Southwestern Christian |
| Denney Crabaugh Coach of the Year: Bobby Garza, Texas Wesleyan |
| FIRST TEAM |
| SP |
Eli Davis* |
Oklahoma City |
Sr. |
Shawnee, Okla. |
| SP |
Michael Watson* |
SW Assemblies of God |
Jr. |
Glen Rose, Texas |
| SP |
Isaac Baez |
Mid-America Christian |
Jr. |
Santa Maria, Calif. |
| SP |
Gabriel Figueroa |
Southwestern Christian |
Jr. |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| RP |
David Theriot |
Texas Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Covington, La. |
| C |
Yan Ely Adames* |
Mid-America Christian |
Sr. |
Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic |
| C |
Jake Green |
Wayland Baptist |
Sr. |
Sachse, Texas |
| 1b |
Peyton McDowall |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Cibolo, Texas |
| 2b |
Jhors Gomez |
Southwestern Christian |
So. |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| 3b |
Christopher Martinez |
Science & Arts |
Fr. |
Bani, Dominican Republic |
| SS |
Brandon Rincones |
Texas Wesleyan |
So. |
Oranjestad, Aruba |
| OF |
Greyson Barrett* |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
| OF |
Noel McGarry-Doyle |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Maple, Ontario, Canada |
| OF |
Bryson Collins |
SW Assemblies of God |
Sr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
| OF |
Samuel Fabian |
Wayland Baptist |
So. |
Santiago, Dominican Republic |
| DH |
Kevin Santiago Zamora* |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Jayuya, Puerto Rico |
| Utility |
Arturo Disla |
Wayland Baptist |
So. |
La Vega, Dominican Republic |
| SECOND TEAM |
| SP |
Josh Harrel |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Cashion, Okla. |
| SP |
Reed Butz |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Rockford, Ill. |
| SP |
Matthew Hickey |
SW Assemblies of God |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
| SP |
Sutton Tidwell |
Texas Wesleyan |
So. |
Gainesville, Texas |
| RP |
Kelton Lachelt |
Mid-America Christian |
Jr. |
Henderson, Nev. |
| C |
Carson Cheaney* |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Muenster, Texas |
| C |
Antonio Hrynkiw |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Brechin, Ontario, Canada |
| 1b |
Trent Kiraly* |
Oklahoma City |
Jr. |
Farmington, N.M. |
| 2b |
Gage Gaunt |
Science & Arts |
Jr. |
Clinton, Okla. |
| 3b |
Dario Paredes |
Southwestern Christian |
Fr. |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| SS |
Carlos Medina* |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Apple Valley, Calif. |
| OF |
Avery Chatman |
SW Assemblies of God |
Jr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
| OF |
Justin Taylor |
Central Christian |
Sr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| OF |
Caleb Rozier |
Wayland Baptist |
So. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| OF |
Ben Lawson |
Science & Arts |
So. |
Yukon, Okla. |
| DH |
Andrew Enwiya |
Mid-America Christian |
Sr. |
Modesto, Calif. |
| Utility |
T.J. Tomlinson |
Texas Wesleyan |
So. |
Fredericksburg, Texas |
| GOLD GLOVE |
| C |
Antonio Hrynkiw |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Brechin, Ontario, Canada |
| 1b |
Peyton McDowall |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Cibolo, Texas |
| 2b |
Ryan Reed |
Mid-America Christian |
Sr. |
Yukon, Okla. |
| 3b |
Carlos Gusman |
Central Christian |
Fr. |
Houston |
| SS |
Carlos Medina |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Apple Valley, Calif. |
| LF |
Greyson Barrett |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
| CF |
Aiden Alexander |
Oklahoma City |
Fr. |
Yukon, Okla. |
| RF |
Jonathan Pena |
Texas Wesleyan |
So. |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| P |
Eli Davis |
Oklahoma City |
Sr. |
Shawnee, Okla. |
*Unanimous selections