2024 D2CCA All-Midwest Region Baseball Teams
The recognition keeps piling in for Hillsdale College junior first baseman Will Shannon, as another awards body recognized him as the top player at his position in the Midwest Region on Thursday.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association named Shannon to its All-Midwest Region first team, recognizing him for the second-straight season after the junior made the second team following the 2023 campaign. Along with first-team recognition from the NCBWA, Shannon has now received All-Region recognition from two of the three major awards bodies, with only the ABCA yet to announce their teams. The D2CCA awards are chosen from players nominated by sports information directors from across the region, who also conduct the voting and select the teams.
The junior from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan exceeded already sky-high expectations with his performance in 2024, leading the G-MAC in season batting average (.426), slugging percentage (.838), on-base percentage (0.508), and, as a consequence of those three numbers, OPS as well (1.346). Shannon was even better in conference play, batting .436 with an .882 slugging percentage and a 1.402 OPS.
Despite missing Hillsdale's first seven games with an injury, Shannon put up incredible numbers in 2024 to lead the Chargers in virtually every hitting category, finishing with a team-high 63 hits, 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 52 RBIs while scoring 50 runs and drawing 27 walks. Shannon's .838 slugging percentage is second only to Jeff DePorter's .848 in 1988 for a single season in program history, and for a single season the junior's 2024 campaign ranks seventh in batting average (.426), sixth in runs scored (50), ninth in doubles (14), third in home runs (15) and sixth in RBIs (52).
Shannon was consistent at the plate for the Chargers, with a 20-game hitting streak, 18 multi-hit games, and and just five games out of 42 played where he didn't record a hit. The junior also had three multi-home run games this season for the Chargers, including a 5 for 6 outing with two home runs and a double in a 16-12 win over Grand Valley State that was his first five-hit game of his career. He also was a solid defensive player at first base for Hillsdale, with a .990 fielding percentage, 297 putouts and 14 assists while playing a part in turning 18 double plays for the Chargers.
More awards could be on the horizon for Shannon, as the ABCA should name its All-Region team shortly. All three awards bodies -- the D2CCA, NCBWA and ABCA -- also will consider Shannon for All-American honors to be announced in June.