CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Today the Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC First Team, Second Team & Specialty Award selections for the 2021 season. The teams were voted on by the league's head coaches. The league's All-Defensive Team has also been announced.
Toledo's Chris Meyers was named MAC Player of the Year, while Central Michigan's Andrew Taylor was tabbed the MAC Pitcher of the Year & Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Bowling Green's Kyle Gurney was named Freshman of the Year, while Ball State's Chase Sebby earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the second straight season.
Central Michigan's Jordan Bischel was named the MAC Coach of the Year in his third year of leading the Chippewas (40-16, 31-9 MAC). In 2021, he guided CMU to its second-straight league crown and he is the first Chippewa skipper to earn back-to-back league coach of the year awards since Dean Kreiner captured four straight from 1985-88. Bischel is 98-36 in his three seasons in charge of the program.
Meyers was terrific in 2021, tying the school record with 15 home runs while batting .378 and driving in 55 runs, leading the MAC in all three categories, making him the league's first Triple Crown winner since 1998 (Tom Kuempel, Marshall). Meyers also led the conference in slugging percentage (.739) and doubles (18) while ranking second in on-base percentage (.509) and third in runs scored (50). He ended the season 11th in the country in slugging and 16th in on-base percentage. An intimidating presence in the batter's box, Meyers led the MAC in intentional walks with nine. He accumulated 39 walks in 2021, one off the school record of 40 (Andy Stetka, 2001).
Taylor, who hails from Alto, leads the MAC with 11 victories (against three losses) and a 1.21 earned run average. He ranks second in the conference with 120 strikeouts. He is the fourth Chippewa to earn the MAC Pitcher of the Year Award and the first since Jesse Hernandez in 2010. He is the second in program history to win the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Award after Tyler Hankins (2017).
Gurney becomes the third player in BGSU to be named MAC Freshman of the Year, joining Jake Wilson (2017) and Andy Tracy (1993). The Belleville, Michigan native led all MAC freshmen in batting average (.328), total bases (89) and RBI (40). Gurney's 40 RBI are the most from a Bowling Green player in a single season since 2010. He hit .336 in conference play with five home runs, ranking top-15 in the entire league within both categories. Gurney started 49 games and will bring a 16-game hitting streak into 2022.
Sebby captured the conference's defensive player of the year award for the second time in a row, directing the Cardinals from behind the plate. He had a .996 fielding percentage and threw out 18 baserunners. With Sebby primarily keeping an eye on the basepaths, the Cardinals allowed just 38 stolen bases. In contrast, Ball State stole 59 bases on offense. He was also the DPOY in 2019.
Central Michigan will travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament this Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN3. For more on MAC Baseball, visit GetSomeMACtion.com or follow us on Twitter at @MACSports.
2021 Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Jordan Bischel, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Kyle Gurney, C, Bowling Green
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Taylor, RHP, Central Michigan
Player of the Year: Chris Meyers, 1B, Toledo
Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Taylor, RHP, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: Chase Sebby, C, Ball State
2021 First Team All-MAC
C – Connor Charping, Western Michigan
1B – Chris Meyers, Toledo
2B - Mario Camilletti, Central Michigan
SS – Drew Devine, Western Michigan
3B – Nathan Rose, Bowling Green
OF – Zach Gilles, Central Michigan
OF – Ben Carew, Kent State
OF – Cam Touchette, Kent State
SP – John Baker, Ball State
SP – Andrew Taylor, Central Michigan
SP – Sam Bachman, Miami
SP – Joe Rock, Ohio
RP – Eddie Kutt, Ohio
DH – Mike Monahan, Eastern Michigan
At-Large — Taylor Hopkins, Eastern Michigan
2021 Second Team All-MAC
C – Jake Dunham, Northern Illinois
1B – Sean O’Keefe, Western Michigan
2B – Noah Navarro, Ball State
SS – Michael McNamara, Kent State
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Nick Powell, Ball State
OF – Kam Smith, Northern Illinois
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
SP – Luke Albright, Kent State
SP – Jordan Patty, Central Michigan
SP – Chayce McDermott, Ball State
SP – Davis Feldman, Eastern Michigan
RP – Grant Frazer, Central Michigan
DH – Cole Andrews, Miami
At-Large — Justin Miknis, Kent State
2021 All-Defensive Team
C -- Chase Sebby, Ball State
1B- Adam Furnas, Bowling Green
2B – Will Vogelgesang, Miami
SS – Michael McNamara, Kent State
3B – Jimmy Allen, Western Michigan
OF – Zach Gilles, Central Michigan
OF – Chase Rollin, Central Michigan
OF – Ben Carew, Kent State
P – John Baker, Ball State
