GALESBURG — The Carl Sandburg College baseball team was represented by a pair of players on the All-Region IV Division II Rawlings Gold Glove team for their defensive prowess this spring.
Freshman Caileb Johnson (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) earned the nod at first base while freshman Mitch Ball (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) was chosen to one of three outfield spots on the team.
Johnson posted a .983 fielding percentage at first, making just four errors out of a team-high 239 total chances. Johnson, who was voted the Arrowhead Conference MVP last month, recorded a Sandburg-best 225 putouts, had 10 assists and was part of 11 double plays for the Chargers. He did not commit an error in his last 19 games of the regular season.
Patrolling center field for the Chargers, Ball did not have an error until Sandburg’s final game of the season. He finished the year with a .989 fielding percentage after making only a single miscue on 92 total chances. Ball, also a member of the All-Arrowhead team and a First-Team All-Region IV selection, made 87 putouts, had four outfield assists and was part of two double plays this spring. He had an outfield assist in both ends of the Chargers’ April 19 doubleheader at Black Hawk, one of which was a double play.
2022 ALL-REGION IV DIVISION II RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE TEAM
Defensive Player of the Year — Thomas Schroeder (Morton)
Catcher — Mason Schwalbach (McHenry County)
First base — Caileb Johnson (Sandburg)
Second base — Valentin Cerna Jr. (Lake County)
Third base — Zach Storbakken (Madison)
Shortstop — Thomas Schroeder (Morton)
Outfield — Mitch Ball (Sandburg), Lucas Spence (Black Hawk), Cole Wilcox (Lake County)
Pitcher — Dylan Petrey (McHenry County)
***Story and photo courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
