2016 Baseball All-GLIAC Release
He sprayed hits to all fields. He dashed around the bases in a blur. He stretched out for catches that could make any SportsCenter highlight package.
Wednesday night, Luke Ortel was recognized for his multitude of skills and off-the-charts productivity.
Ortel became the first Charger to ever be named GLIAC Player of the Year. The award was announced at the all-conference banquet, held near the Athletes in Action field in Xenia, Ohio, the site of this week's GLIAC Tournament.
In addition, Ortel was named First-Team All-GLIAC, as were teammates Alex Walts and Ethan Wiskur. Seniors Connor Bartlett and Chris McDonald were named Second-Team All-GLIAC, while seniors Tad Sobieszczanski and Joe Gentile each earned honorable mention All-GLIAC honors.
There is no part of the game of baseball Ortel hasn't dominated during the 2016 season. A four-year starter at center field and leadoff hitter, he filled in every statistical column imaginable while shredding Hillsdale's record books.
Entering the conference tournament, Ortel leads all of NCAA Division II with 103 total hits, which broke the previous school record by 33. His .475 batting average, 27 stolen bases, 26 doubles, 8 triples, .806 slugging percentage and 217 at bats all lead the GLIAC. He's even been hit by pitches 11 times, a conference-high.
Throw in 10 home runs, 48 runs batted in – which for a leadoff hitter is simply amazing – and his 68 runs scored, and it's hard to envision anyone having a season like what Ortel just did for the Chargers.
Walts, a sophomore, was named First-Team All-GLIAC at second base, adding terrific production from his spot in the lineup. He batted .333 in 2016 with 54 hits, 27 runs scored and 26 RBI. He was incredibly consistent with the bat, going back-to-back games without a hit just twice all season. He started all 50 regular season games at second and had 89 putouts and 84 assists.
Wiskur earned First-Team All-GLIAC honors as the designated hitter and was the cleanup hitter on a team that produced the most runs, hits and home runs in a season in school history. His 74 total hits would have set a single-season school record, were it not for Ortel's campaign. Wiskur smacked 6 home runs, had 45 runs batted in and scored 45 runs. He was also named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week twice.
McDonald was one of the most valuable players on the Chargers, giving the team a reliable arm on the mound and a power bat in the lineup. He was named Second-Team All-GLIAC at two positions, first base and relief pitcher.
On the mound, he set a school record with 11 saves this season to go along with a 3-1 record. His 11 saves ranked him second in the GLIAC during the regular season.
At the plate, McDonald set a career-high with 12 home runs, which ranked him third in the GLIAC. His 55 runs batted in were second in the conference, and he had a .634 slugging percentage.
Bartlett, a left-handed batter who started in right field for four years, was a significant part of the team's 2016 power surge. He had 10 home runs this season after batting a total of four in his first three seasons. He batted .361 with 67 total hits, 12 doubles and 111 total bases. He scored 45 runs and drove in 42, all stats that place him in the school's single-season top 10 list in those categories.
Sobieszczanski earned the second All-GLIAC award of his sterling career, and he also hit 10 home runs on the season. Gentile was a steady force at catcher for the Chargers, having his best season with a .292 batting average and 38 total hits.