MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan pitcher Andrew Taylor was named the Co-National Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
 
Taylor, who hails from Alto, was also named to the publication's Freshman All-America Team.
 
The 6-foot-5 right-hander from Alto finished the season with an 11-4 record and a 1.81 earned run average. In 15 appearances, all of them starts, he posted two shutouts among five complete games, striking out a CMU single-season record 125 in 94 1/3 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average.
 
Taylor helped lead the Chippewas to their second-consecutive Mid-American Conference championship and was named to the All-MAC First Team and was honored as the league's pitcher of the year and its freshman pitcher of the year. CMU finished 42-18, 31-9 MAC, and reached a regional championship game of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Taylor shares the National Freshman of the Year award with catcher Daniel Susac of Arizona, shortstop Brooks Lee of Cal Poly, designated hitter Jacob Berry of Arizona and utility player Paul Skenes of Air Force.

In addition, Bowling Green's Kyle Gurney was named to the Freshmen All-America Team following the conclusion of the 2021 season. Gurney, the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, led all MAC freshmen this season in batting average (.333), total bases (89) and RBI (40).
 
Gurney's 40 RBI are the most from a Bowling Green player in a single season since 2010. The native of Belleville, Michigan will bring a 16-game hitting streak into 2022. Gurney hit .336 in conference play with five home runs, ranking top-15 in the entire league within both categories. Bowling Green's catcher started 48 games this spring.
 
Gurney is the first catcher in school history and fifth Falcon overall to earn freshman All-American honors.