GALESBURG — The Carl Sandburg College baseball team nearly filled out its own All-Arrowhead Conference team.
After winning their second straight Arrowhead Conference championship, the Chargers placed a league-high eight players on the all-conference team, including the Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row.
Sophomore third baseman Jordan Chandler (Erie, Ill./Erie) was named the Arrowhead MVP as voted on by the league’s coaches and was joined on the squad by sophomore shortstop Braedon Blackford (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame), sophomore first baseman Cacey O’Brien (Moline, Ill./Moline), sophomore catcher/designated hitter Tyler Womack (Moline, Ill./Moline), sophomore left fielder Devon Ballard (Fulton, Ill./Fulton), freshman center fielder Noah Hoepfner (East Moline, Ill./United Township), freshman pitcher Jackson Porter (LaHarpe, Ill./Illini West) and sophomore pitcher Nolan Struhs (Avon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon).
Additionally, first-year head coach Josh Foreman was named the Arrowhead Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Chargers to a 17-1 mark in conference play, winning the league title by four games.
Chandler played in all 18 of Sandburg’s Arrowhead games at the hot corner, batting a team-best .550 over 70 plate appearances with six homers, five doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He recorded a .600 on-base percentage along with a 1.000 slugging percentage and matched Blackford and Hoepfner for the team lead in steals with four.
The Chargers’ leadoff man, Blackford hit .479 in conference play and led Sandburg in homers (10), RBIs (33), runs (32), walks (17), OBP (.606), slugging (1.229) and on-base plus slugging (1.835) over 71 plate appearances.
Last year’s conference co-MVP, O’Brien followed that up by posting a .432/.528/.705 slash line in 53 plate appearances over 15 games. The 6-foot-6 slugger popped three home runs, three doubles, drove in 21 runs and scored 10 times in conference action.
A two-time all-conference selection along with O’Brien, Womack tied for the team lead in doubles in Arrowhead play with six in 62 PAs. He also hit three homers, collected 20 RBIs, scored 18 runs and put up a .418./.484/.727 slash line.
Ballard batted .468 and got on-base at a .500 clip over 52 plate appearances in his first year with the Chargers. He collected one home run, 12 RBIs and scored 19 runs against conference pitching.
In addition to patrolling center field, Hoepfner hit .429/.500/.531 in 56 plate appearances as a redshirt freshman. He also knocked in 19 runs, scored 16 times and picked up a home run.
Porter was a perfect 5-0 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in five conference games as the Chargers’ No. 1 pitcher. Highlighting his year was a five-inning no-hitter April 6 against Kishwaukee in which he retired 15 straight batters after hitting the leadoff man. The righthander pitched four complete games, struck out 40 and walked just five in 30 innings against Arrowhead offenses.
Struhs also went 5-0 in five conference starts while posting a team-best 2.16 ERA. The lefty fired an 11-strikeout one-hitter April 6 against Kishwaukee for one of his three complete games against conference opponents. Struhs fanned 39, walked nine and had a 1.04 WHIP in 25 innings.
2019 All-Arrowhead Conference Baseball Team
MVP — Jordan Chandler (Sandburg)
Infielders — Nick Acri (Black Hawk), Braedon Blackford (Sandburg, Jordan Chandler (Sandburg), Kyle Christman (Illinois Valley), Paxton Kennedy (Illinois Valley)
Outfielders — Devon Ballard (Sandburg), Noah Hoepfner (Sandburg), Josue Ortiz (Highland), Sullivan Stickann (Illinois Valley)
Catchers — Geral Acaba (Black Hawk), Tyler Womack (Sandburg)
Designated Hitters — Brant Howell (Highland), Cacey O’Brien (Sandburg)
Pitchers — Jackson Porter (Sandburg), Nolan Struhs (Sandburg), Casey Thomas (Highland), Nick Villasenor (Black Hawk)
Coach of the Year — Josh Foreman (Sandburg)
Final 2019 Arrowhead Conference Standings
Sandburg 17-1
Black Hawk 13-5
Highland 11-7
Illinois Valley 8-8
Kishwaukee 4-14
Sauk Valley 1-19
***Report Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
