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 Gustavus, Saint Benedict, and Saint Mary's claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
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
Chris Knowles
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | First Base
New Ulm, Minn. | Cathedral
Chris Knowles hit .471 (8-for-17) as the Gusties went 4-1 last week to secure the MIAC regular season championship and No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. Knowles went 4-for-6 in a doubleheader sweep over then-conference leading Bethel on 5/2. He posted his third straight multi-hit game in a decisive win over Crown on 5/3, highlighted by a grand slam. He then extended his hit streak to eight games with a pair of hits in a critical split against St. Olaf on 5/7. In the five games, Knowles scored eight runs, drove home eight, hit two doubles, belted two home runs - one of which was a grand slam, and added three walks, all while improving his batting average from .284 to .308.
MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Adam Biewen
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Left-handed Pitcher
Golden Valley, Minn. | Robbinsdale Armstrong
Adam Biewen had the best pitching performance of his collegiate career on 5/2, tossing a complete-game shutout against then-conference leading Bethel. Biewen allowed just two hits in the nine-inning shutout while striking out eight batters. Biewen, who did not walk a single batter in the 8-0 win, dropped his ERA from 5.02 to 3.09.
MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Ali French
Saint Mary's University
Fy. | Third Base
Winona, Minn. | Cotter
Ali French hit .520 (13-for-25) in eight conference games last week to lead the Cardinals to a berth in the MIAC Playoffs. French posted three doubles, scored six runs, and drove in eight. She also walked three times and stole a pair of bases. French had at least one hit in all eight games and collected back-to-back three-hit performances in Game 2 against Concordia on 5/2 and Game 1 against Bethel on 5/3.
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Elly Novak
College of Saint Benedict
Sr. | Right-handed Pitcher
Montgomery, Minn. | Tri-City United
Elly Novak tossed two complete games including her program record 19th career shutout for the Bennies last week. Novak worked 13.0 innings, allowing nine hits and two unearned runs to go along with 13 strikeouts in wins against St. Catherine (5/4) and Saint Mary's (5/7). Novak set the CSB shutout record in a 10-0 win over Saint Mary's.