2024 NAIA Baseball All-Americans Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2024 Baseball All-America teams as selected by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches’ Association All-America Committee, including the Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
Darien Smith earns the Pitcher of the Year recognition with the fourth lowest ERA in the country at 1.87, was 12-0 on the season and ranked third in the NAIA with 130 strikeouts. Four times this year, he pitched a complete game and on six occasions he struck out 10+ batters. His best performance of the season was on April 25th when the Fire beat Keiser (Fla.) 4-0 behind Smith's 12 strikeout, one hit outting. He is the second Fire pitcher to receive the honor in the last three seasons, as his teammate Robb Adams earned the inaugural award in 2022.
Blaze O'Saben received the honor of NAIA Player of the Year as he averaged .443 across 62 games played this season including 14 home runs, 83 RBI, 116 runs scored, and 50 stolen babses. He ranks first in the NAIA in eight offensive categories, inside the top five in nine others, and top 10 in 19 total categories. This marks the second straight season that GGC has boasted the Player of the Year and third time overall (Ajay Sczepkowski in 2023 and Ty Abbott in 2015).
The first and second teams are recognized as ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods. The ABCA began recognizing All-Americans in 1949 and named the first ABCA NAIA All-America team in 1969. Starting in the 2024 season, the NAIA started recognizing a third All-American team across all sports.
FIRST TEAM
Name | School | Year | Hometown | Position |
Miguel Oropeza | Talladega (Ala.) | Jr. | Aragua, Venezuela | 1B |
JJ Cruz | Hope International (Calif.) | Sr. | La Palma, Calif. | 2B |
Drew Barragan | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | Sr. | Trabuco Canyon, Calif. | SS |
Jaidan Quinn | Concordia (Neb.) | Jr. | Bonner Springs, Kan. | 3B |
Drew Fleming | Concorida (Mich.) | Sr. | Davison, Mich. | INF |
Charlie Muniz | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Jr. | Naranjito, Puerto Rico | C |
Tyler Horner | Oregon Tech | Jr. | Twin Falls, Idaho | C |
Blaze O'Saben | Georgia Gwinnett | Sr. | Warrenton, Va. | OF |
Evan St. Claire | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Sr. | Whitehall, N.Y. | OF |
Cayden Nicoletto | Columbia (Mo.) | Jr. | Australia | OF |
Ajay Sczepkowski | Georgia Gwinnett | Sr. | Reading, Pa. | OF |
Darien Smith | Southeastern (Fla.) | Sr. | Jacksonville, Fla. | SP |
Cesar Avila | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Jr. | Livingston, Calif. | SP |
Blayne Huter | Webber International (Fla.) | Jr. | Sebring, Fla. | SP |
Isaac Rohde | LSU Shreveport (La.) | Gr. | Rice Lake, Wis. | SP |
Chad Pike | Oklahoma City | Gr. | Watermill, N.Y. | RP |
Arderrius Townsend | Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) | Jr. | Pontotoc, Miss. | DH |
SECOND TEAM
Name | School | Year | Hometown | Position |
Cole Robinson | Missouri Baptist | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | 1B |
Braxton Meguiar | Georgia Gwinnett | Jr. | Auburn, Ky. | 2B |
Jarrett Gable | Kansas Wesleyan | Sr. | Colleyville, Texas | SS |
Bryson Lofton | Bryan (Tenn.) | So. | Calhoun, Ga. | 3B |
Isaac Santana | Point Park (Pa.) | Sr. | Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic | INF |
Indy Stanley | Columbia (Mo.) | Sr. | Cumming, Ga. | C |
Logan Grant | Bellevue (Neb.) | Jr. | Chestermere, Alberta | C |
Dylan Lewis | Reinhardt (Ga.) | Sr. | Paso Robles, Calif. | OF |
Joey Grabanski | Concordia (Neb.) | Sr. | Grand Forks, N.D. | OF |
Carlos Negron | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Jr. | Corozal, Puerto Rico | OF |
Mason White | Indiana Southeast | Sr. | Evansville, Ind. | OF |
Blake Peyton | Tennessee Wesleyan | Sr. | San Diego, Calif. | SP |
Andrew Herbert | Reinhardt (Ga.) | Jr. | San Clemente, Calif. | SP |
Aaron Forrest | Doane (Neb.) | Sr. | Peoria, Ariz. | SP |
Ben Harris | Georgia Gwinnett | Jr. | Crystal Lake, Ill. | SP |
John Snyder | William Carey (Miss.) | Sr. | Semmes, Ala. | RP |
Henry Daniels | Georgia Gwinnett | Jr. | Norman Park, Ga. | DH |
THIRD TEAM
Name | School | Year | Hometown | Position |
Max Harper | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Gr. | Fredericksburg, Va. | 1B |
Tyler Mata Lloyd | Tabor (Kan.) | Sr. | Fort Collins, Colo. | 2B |
Vantrel Reed | LSU Shreveport (La.) | Jr. | Vicksburg, Miss. | 2B |
Alex Adams | Missouri Baptist | Gr. | Wildwood, Mo. | SS |
Brycen Sherwood | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | Sr. | Elkhart, Ind. | SS |
Victor Sanchez | Oklahoma Wesleyan | Jr. | Miami, Fla. | 3B |
Kekoa Ogawa | Roosevelt (Ill.) | Jr. | Pahoa, Hawaii | 3B |
Mason David | Taylor (Ind.) | JR. | Bloomington, Ind. | 3B |
Nash Crowell | Reinhardt (Ga.) | Jr. | Yarmouth, Nova Scotia | INF |
Tyler Favretto | Kansas Wesleyan | Jr. | Montreal, Quebec | C |
Tanner Sears | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Jr. | Higginsville, Mo. | C |
Joshua Duarte | Georgetown (Ky.) | Sr. | San Pedro, Calif. | OF |
Trey Furrey | Jessup (Calif.) | Sr. | Folsom, Calif. | OF |
Travis Strickler | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | Sr. | Glendale, Ariz. | OF |
Marques Titialii | Arizona Christian | Sr. | Seattle, Wash. | OF |
Francesco Barbieri | Ave Maria (Fla.) | Gr. | Brampton, Ontario | OF |
Bobby Nichols | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Sr. | Detroit, Mich. | OF |
Luke Schafer | Indiana Southeast | Sr. | Leawood, Kan. | SP |
Ryan Daly | St. Francis (Ill.) | Jr. | Plainfield, Ill. | SP |
Isaac Baez | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | Sr. | Santa Maria, Calif. | SP |
Brian Ereu | Science and Arts (Okla.) | Fr. | Columbus, Ohio | SP |
Chipper Korbacher | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Gr. | Oceanside, Calif. | RP |
Noah Castillo | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | Jr. | Whittier, Calif. | DH |