EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Four University of Evansville baseball student-athletes – 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 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Hansmann lands on the Academic All-District Team after a season in which he established himself as one of the top pitchers in the Missouri Valley Conference and earned First Team All-MVC honors. This past season, Hansmann ranked among MVC leaders in ERA (3.99 – fifth), strikeouts (83 – third) and innings pitched (85.2 - fourth). 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 regular season weekend series, Hansmann gave the Aces five or more. 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 Academic All-District honors after serving as Evansville's everyday center fielder in his first season on campus. Haire started all 54 games for the Purple Aces, rankings third on the team in hitting with a .272 mark, including a .277 batting average in conference play. An anchor in the middle of the Evansville lineup, Haire launched nine home runs to go along with 12 doubles while driving in 33 runs. Additionally, Haire swiped 12 bases and was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team. 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 Academic All-District Team after serving as a staple of the Evansville bullpen. The right-hander tied for the team lead 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 gave 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 Academic All-District Team after making a strong impact on the Evansville pitching staff in his first season on campus. McCormack made 17 appearances, spanning 42.1 innings, with a 3.40 ERA and earned Honorable Mention All-MVC honors. In conference play, the right-hander owned 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. McCormack ended his season with a legendary performance, tossing Evansville's first complete game in the MVC Tournament since 2017 to defeat Illinois State. The junior holds a 3.80 GPA in sociology.
