CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The coaches have selected the 2025 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) baseball postseason award selections. These student-athletes have proven themselves during a challenging conference regular season schedule.
Coaches from the conference nominated and selected this year’s all-conference team, recognizing 16 on first-team and 16 on second-team. In addition to honoring the all-conference team, the release also recognizes the Position Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year.
| 2025 All-American Rivers Conference Baseball Team |
| Position Player of the Year - Evan Taylor, Buena Vista University |
| Pitcher of the Year - Mark Eddie, Buena Vista University |
| Rookie of the Year - Kaden Struck, Buena Vista University |
| Coach of the Year - Steve Eddie, Buena Vista University |
| Pitcher of the Year |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Mark Eddie |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
P |
Storm Lake, Iowa/Storm Lake |
| Pos. Player of the Year |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Evan Taylor |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
C |
Redfield, Iowa/Panorama |
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Joel Garcia # % |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
SS |
Laredo, Texas/John B. Alexander |
| Morgan Smith |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
P |
Boone, Iowa/Boone |
| Drew Taylor # & |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
3B |
Redfield, Iowa/Panorama |
| Jake Brosius ! % |
Coe |
So. |
OF |
Dubuque, Iowa/Iowa |
| Ryan Thoreson -h1 |
Coe |
Jr. |
C |
Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley |
| Jack Walsh |
Coe |
So. |
P |
Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert |
| Jake Cekander # & |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Grad. |
UTL |
Chula Vista, Calif./East Lake |
| Aidan Elfering # |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Sr. |
P |
Bird Island, Minn./BOLD |
| * Jackson Cullen @ |
Loras |
Jr. |
OF |
Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic |
| Vince Polizzi # |
Loras |
Jr. |
DH |
Naperville, Ill./St. Francis |
| Trevor Segraves |
Loras |
Sr. |
2B |
Valencia, Calif./Valencia |
| Josh Matanich @ -h2 |
Luther |
5th Yr. |
1B |
Lake City, Minn./Lincoln |
| Mark Prince -h1 |
Luther |
Sr. |
OF |
Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon |
| Trey Castile |
Simpson |
Sr. |
P |
Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian |
| Dante Dolash |
Simpson |
Sr. |
RP |
Eldora, Iowa/South Hardin |
| Eliot Jurgensen # & |
Wartburg |
Sr. |
OF |
Ames, Iowa/Ames |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Garrett Guenther |
Central |
So. |
SS |
Grayslake, Ill./Central |
| Mark Kenney # |
Central |
Jr. |
P |
Fennimore, Wis./Fennimore |
| Mitchell Eckardt @ |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
2B |
O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville Liberty |
| Ethan O'Donnell # -h2 |
Coe |
Sr. |
P |
North Liberty, Iowa/Liberty |
| Tyce Johnson @ |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
UTL |
Indianola, Iowa/Indianola |
| Charlie Jaeger -h1 |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Grad. |
P |
Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert |
| CJ Boudreaux |
Luther |
Sr. |
RP |
Humble, Texas/Atascocita |
| Zach Gwost |
Luther |
Jr. |
OF |
Little Falls, Minn./Little Falls |
| Gavin Scurr # |
Luther |
Sr. |
C |
San Diego, Calif./University City |
| Aaron Chazin |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
OF |
Sylmar, Calif./Granada Hills |
| Easton Johnson |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Jr. |
3B |
Gilbert, Iowa/Gilbert/Iowa Central CC |
| Nate Cagley -h1 |
Simpson |
Jr. |
DH |
Jesup, Iowa/Jesup |
| Trenton Kingrey |
Simpson |
So. |
OF |
Knoxville, Iowa/Knoxville |
| Joey Ciero -h1 |
Wartburg |
Grad. |
P |
Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West |
| * Carter Stubitz |
Wartburg |
5th Yr. |
C |
Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley |
| Zach Walton @ ^ -h4 % |
Wartburg |
5th Yr. |
1B |
Farmington, Minn./Farmington |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Kaden Struck |
Buena Vista |
Fr. |
1B |
Omaha, Neb./Millard West |
| Dylan Johnson |
Buena Vista |
Fr. |
RP |
Papillion, Neb./Papillion-La Vista South |
| Connor Zegar |
Buena Vista |
Jr. |
DH |
Lincoln, Neb./Malcom |
| Dom DeLaPaz |
Central |
Sr. |
C |
Davenport, Iowa/West |
| Jack Allison -h1 |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
3B |
Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk |
| Jon Wille # |
Coe |
So. |
SS |
Dubuque, Iowa/Senior |
| Daniel Maller -h1 |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Sr. |
OF |
St. Charles, Ill./St. Francis College Prep |
| Cody Sunny |
Loras |
Jr. |
1B |
Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott |
| Brady Bell |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
UTL |
Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln East/Hutchinson CC |
| Carter Betts |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
2B |
Omaha, Neb./Millard West |
| Tommy Fiocchi |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
OF |
Monument, Calif./Lewis Palmer/Otero |
| Owen Duckworth |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
So. |
1B |
Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail |
| Robbie Ross |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
RP |
Berthoud, Colo./Berthoud |
| Jacob Roberts |
Simpson |
Fr. |
3B |
Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant Farrar |
| Previous Awards Key |
| * - At-Large Selection |
| ! - 2024 Position Player of the Year |
| @ - 2024 First-Team All-Conference |
| # - 2024 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h1 - 2024 Honorable Mention |
| $ - 2023 Pitcher of the Year |
| % - 2023 First-Team All-Conference |
| & - 2023 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h2 - 2023 Honorable Mention |
| ^ - 2022 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h3 - 2022 Honorable Mention |
| -h4 - 2021 Honorable Mention |
The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today its major awards and 32-member All-Conference team for the 2025 season. Buena Vista swept the major awards with Evan Taylor being named Position Player of the Year, Mark Eddie as Pitcher of the Year, Kaden Struck earning the inaugural Rookie of the Year honor, and head coach Steve Eddie was voted as the A-R-C Coach of the Year by his peers.
Taylor is the seventh Beaver to earn Position Player of the Year, joining Pat McMullen (1970), Jeff Trost (1975-1976), Dale Knight (1980), Nick Beard (2002), Brandon Pietrzyk (2010), Neil Marshall (2016), and Bryce Rheault (2019). This is Taylor’s second Position Player of the Year honor of his career, as he earned this distinction back in 2022. Taylor recorded a .429 batting average in league play. He recorded 39 hits, 35 runs, and 21 RBIs. He started all 24 conference games this spring.
Eddie is the third pitcher from Buena Vista to earn Pitcher of the Year after the award was split in 2008. He joins Jon Ringblom (2014) and Morgan Smith (2023). Eddie posted a 1.88 ERA and posted a 4-0 start in six starts this season. He tossed 43.0 innings, striking out 41 batters and allowing 39 hits and nine earned runs. Opponents batted at a .235 average when facing Eddie.
Struck is putting his name into the record book as the inaugural Rookie of the Year honor. Struck had an active rookie season as he posted a .345 ERA in league action as he started all 24 games. He recorded 30 hits, drove in 24 runs, and added 20 runs himself.
Eddie is picking up his sixth-career Coach of the Year accolade in his 25th season at the helm of the Buena Vista University baseball team. He is just on of two coaches in Beavers baseball history to be named Coach of the Year. Eddie guided the Beavers to an overall record of 29-10 and 18-6 in conference action, winning the A-R-C regular season title for the 19th time in program history. Eddie’s staff is made up of assistant coach Nate Hanner and pitching coach Brayden Polzien.
The trio of Beavers honored with major awards are also joined by Joel Garcia, Morgan Smith, and Drew Taylor on first-team all-conference this season. Garcia posted a .306 batting average in conference action this spring. He recorded 30 hits, 24 runs, and 22 RBIs. From the field, he recorded 70 assists, 32 putouts, and nine errors. Smith was a strong force for the Beavers on the mound posting an ERA of 2.31 while recording a 5-1 record in conference action. He threw 50.2 innings gathering 42 strikeouts while only giving up 13 earned runs and ran batters walked. Taylor was another consistent threat for Buena Vista with a batting average of .311 with 33 hits, 20 RBIs, and 18 runs.
Jake Brosius, Ryan Thoreson, and Jack Walsh see their names on the all-conference first-team list this season for the regular season runner-up Kohawks. Brosius had another good season for Coe with a .323 batting average with 32 hits, 23 runs, and 14 RBIs. From the field, he recorded a fielding percentage of .986 with 69 putouts and just a single error. Thoreson was a threat on offense and behind the plate. On the offensive side, he posted a .378 batting average with 37 hits, 23 RBIs, and 22 runs. Defensively, he recorded just two errors over the conference season with 206 putouts and 20 assists. Walsh posted a 4-1 record from the mound in conference action this spring. He recorded 48.0 innings of work with 51 strikeouts and allowing just 12 earned runs and seven batters walked.
The University of Dubuque Spartans are represented by Jake Cekander and Aidan Elfering this season on the first-team. Cekander posted a .316 batting average during the conference season, that included 23 starts. He grabbed 25 hits, 21 runs, and 12 RBIs. Elfering once again showed his strengths from the mound for the Spartans posted a 3.19 ERA and allowing opponenets to bat just .261 when facing him. Elfering worked for 48.0 innings earning 62 strikeouts and allowing 17 earned runs and five batters walked.
Jackson Cullen, Vince Polizzi, and Trevor Segraves appear on first-team all-conference this season for the Loras College Duhawks. Cullen, with another good season, posted a batting average of .354 over 24 conference contests started. He had 35 hits, 28 runs, and 22 RBIs. From the field, he recorded 30 putouts and just two erros. Polizzi posted a .361 batting average with 31 RBIs, 28 runs, and 25 hits. On the defensive side of the field, he recorded 23 putouts. The second baseman, Segraves, posted a .379 batting average with 36 hits, 22 runs, and 16 RBIs. In the field, he recorded 55 assists with 40 putouts and just a single error.
Josh Matanich and Mark Prince earn all-conference first-team honors for the Luther Norse this season. Matanich, at first base, posted a .369 batting average in 24 conference starts. He had 38 hits, 28 RBIs, and 21 runs. On the dirt, he recorded 179 putouts, seven assists, and no errors. Prince, with a record-breaking season, batted .301 with ten homeruns, 37 RBIs, 31 hits, and 20 runs. In the outfield, Prince recorded 52 putouts with two errors.
Simpson, making the conference tournament for the first time since 2021, saw Trey Castile and Dante Dolash earn first-team honors. Both on the mound, Castile posted a 3.13 ERA as a starting pitcher with 65 strikeouts, 19 earned runs allowed, and 22 batters walked. Dolash, a relief pitcher, allowed just four earned runs in his conference action.
Eliot Jurgensen of Wartburg rounds out the 2025 first-team all-conference team. The outfielder, posted a .317 batting average wiht 33 hits, 22 runs, and 21 RBIs. In the field, he snagged 55 putouts with just four errors.
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About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
