CLEVELAND – Western Michigan redshirt freshman outfielder
Dylan Nevar was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday as part of its annual awards. Additionally, senior catcher
Connor Charping earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team, while sophomore first baseman
Cade Sullivan was an All-MAC Second Team and All-MAC Defensive Team selection.
Nevar is the fifth Bronco to be named the MAC Freshman of the Year and first since Connor Smith in 2016. He started 53 of 54 games for the Broncos this season and posted a .325 batting average. A native of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Nevar led Western Michigan in home runs (11), doubles (20) and slugging percentage (.614). The 20 doubles tied for second in the MAC and also tied for the second-highest single-season total in WMU program history. As a team, WMU totaled a new single-season program-record 131 doubles, which led the league and currently ranks ninth in the NCAA.
The redshirt freshman's .614 slugging percentage was sixth-best in the conference, while his 1.020 OPS ranked 11th. Nevar finished second on the Broncos and tied for seventh in the MAC with 49 runs batted in. His 11 home runs also tied for seventh-most in the league, while his 64 total hits tied for 10th.
Charping was selected to the All-MAC First Team for the second consecutive season. The senior backstop had another outstanding season for Western Michigan, starting 53 contests and pacing the team in batting average (.348), hits (72), runs scored (57) and stolen bases (26). The 57 runs scored were second-most in the MAC and tied for third-most in a single season in WMU history, while the 26 steals led the conference and were the fifth-most in a season in program history.
The Trenton, Mich., native ranked highly in the league in several other categories as well, finishing with the fourth-most hits (72), eighth-highest batting average (.348) and 15th-highest on-base percentage (.440). Charping also tallied 17 doubles, ninth-most in the league, and 13 hit by pitches, fifth-most in the MAC. Defensively, he also threw out a conference-best 18 runners trying to steal.
Sullivan, who earned his first All-MAC recognition and gave the Broncos a representative on the All-Defensive Team for the second straight year, played in all 54 games, starting 53, this season. The first baseman hit .315 for the year with 10 home runs, 16 doubles and a team-high 52 RBIs. He and Nevar were the first two Bronco teammates to hit double-digit home runs in the same season since 2001. The Aurora, Ill., native's 52 runs batted in were fifth-most in the MAC this season, while his 10 round-trippers tied for 10th and 16 doubles tied for 11th in the league.
Defensively, Sullivan boasted a .997 fielding percentage and committed just one error, playing almost exclusively at first base for the Broncos. The sophomore saw 374 total chances, third-most in the MAC, and tied for the second-most putouts in the league with 347. Sullivan was a part of 38 double plays, which led the Mid-American Conference.
