ST. LOUIS – Five University of Evansville baseball student-athletes – Ryan Seddon (Joliet, Ill./St. Laurence), Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill./York), Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte), Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario/Frontier CC), and Chris McCormack (Naperville, Ill./Iowa Central CC) - have been named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team, the league office announced on Monday afternoon.
Seddon earns a spot on the league's Scholar-Athlete Team after enjoying a breakout campaign. Appearing In 31 games with 27 starts in the outfield, Seddon hit .243 with an .802 OPS, the second-best mark on the team, while leading the team with a .466 slugging percentage. Seddon collected 13 extra base hits on the season, including seven doubles, two triples, and four home runs, while driving in 23 runs. On March 27, Seddon helped the Aces open MVC play in grand fashion, launching a walk-off three-run home run to give the Aces a win over Illinois State. Majoring in psychology, Seddon holds a 3.79 GPA.
Hansmann lands on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team after a regular season in which he established himself as one of the top pitchers in the Missouri Valley Conference. Hansmann ranks among MVC leaders in ERA (3.38 – fourth), strikeouts (79 – second) and innings pitched (80.0 – third). In conference play, Hansmann was even better, leading the league with a 2.03 ERA in 48.2 innings. Making a start in all 14 weekend series, Hansmann has given the Aces five or more innings 12 times, including 10 starts of five-plus innings while allowing three or less runs. As it currently stands, Hansmann's ERA of 3.38 is the lowest by a qualified UE pitcher (1 IP/G) since Shane Gray boasted a 3.38 ERA in 2021. The graduate student boasts a 3.57 GPA while pursuing his master's degree in leadership. Hansmann received his bachelor's degree in statistical and data sciences from UE last spring.
Haire earns Scholar-Athlete Team honors after serving as Evansville's everyday center fielder in his first season on campus. Haire has started all 51 games for the Purple Aces, rankings second on the team in hitting with a .260 mark, including a .277 batting average in conference play. An anchor in the middle of the Evansville lineup, Haire has launched eight home runs to go along with 11 doubles while driving in 31 runs. Additionally, Haire has swiped 11 bases and played a strong center field. On April 20, Haire was named MVC Player of the Week after helping the Aces to a crucial series win at Belmont. The junior has maintained a 3.75 GPA in health services administration.
Byberg earns a spot on the Scholar-Athlete Team after serving as a staple of the Evansville bullpen. The right-hander leads the Aces with 19 appearances, totaling 43.1 innings of work with two wins and two saves. In conference play, Byberg picked up wins against Illinois State and Indiana State and a save against UIC. Byberg has given the Aces seven outings spanning three or more innings, including a season-high five innings against #18 Kentucky where he struck out five and allowed just one earned run. Byberg graduated from UE this spring, owning a 3.69 GPA in exercise science.
McCormack lands on the Scholar-Athlete Team after making a strong impact on the Evansville pitching staff in his first season on campus. McCormack has made 17 appearances, spanning 42.1 innings, with a 3.40 ERA. In conference play, the right-hander owns a 2.73 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 26.1 innings while picking up a win over Valparaiso and saves against Southern Illinois, Belmont, and Indiana State. Serving as Evansville's primary closer for much of Valley play, McCormack made his first start as a Purple Ace at Valpo on May 10 and provided seven shutout innings to get the win and help the Aces clinch the series and a spot in the MVC Tournament. The junior holds a 3.80 GPA in sociology.
