BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for baseball and softball on Monday. Student-athletes from Bethel, Carleton, Gustavus, and Saint John's claimed the Conference's weekly honors for April 24-30, 2023.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the spring season, team sports (baseball, softball, and tennis) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (outdoor track & field and golf) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
To view each sport's 2022-23 Athlete of the Week home page, navigate to the 2022-23 Athlete of the Week archive for complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Baseball Player of the Week
Max Nyrop
Saint John's University
Sr. | First Base
Alameda, Calif.
Max Nyrop batted .500 (12-for-24) with a 1.413 OPS, three doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI, and five runs scored as SJU went 4-2 – including a 3-1 record against the MIAC’s top-two teams in the standings – last week. He became SJU’s all-time RBI leader thanks to six – including a grand slam and two-run single – in the Johnnies' 15-5 win in game two on 4/24 at Macalester. Nyrop totaled three hits and four RBI in the Johnnies’ sweep of league-leading Bethel on 4/26 and collected four hits - three of which were doubles - with three RBI in a split against Gustavus on 4/30. The three doubles also lifted him into second on SJU's all-time list with 35, as well as second with 270 total bases.
MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Mitch Casperson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Right-handed Pitcher
Le Sueur, Minn.
Mitch Casperson collected his second consecutive complete game and first shutout of the season in a 6-0 Gustie victory over Carleton on 4/26. Casperson allowed five hits with five strikeouts and no walks in the victory. The performance lowered his season earned run average from 3.25 to 2.72.
MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Cassie Cunniff
Carleton College
Sr. | Second Base
Mt. Prospect, Ill. | Prospect
Cassie Cunniff batted .500 (15-for-30) over eight games for the Knights last week, totaling 13 runs with two doubles, two triples, and a home run. She also drew for walks for a .559 on-base percentage and slugged .800 for the week. Cunniff hit safely in 7-of-8 games, including five multi-hit performances.
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kayla Simacek
Bethel University
Sr. | Right-handed Pitcher
Hastings, Minn.
Kayla Simacek went 5-0 for the Royals last week while helping the team extend its winning streak to 17 games. She tossed two complete games and combined with Ella Roberts for two shutouts. In 23.1 innings of work, she walked one, allowed three runs, and struck out 39 batters. Simacek struck out a combined 17 hitters in 11 innings against Hamline on 4/25. She did not allow a run or walk while striking out 11 against Macalester on 4/27. She capped the week with a win over Augsburg on 4/29 where she allowed one run on two hits with 11 strikeouts.