BRIDGEPORT – The Mountain East Conference today announced its 2024 baseball award winners and all-conference teams following a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Frostburg State first baseman Ethan Kiple was voted the league’s Player of the Year in 2024, while West Virginia State’s Chris Morris was voted the Pitcher of the Year. Frostburg State second baseman Ryan Bouma was recognized as the league’s Freshman of the Year, while Bobcat head coach Anthony Williams was voted by his peers as the Coach of the Year.
Kiple, a senior from Sykesville, Md., batted .389 with 16 home runs and 56 runs batted in this season. He finished the regular season with a .790 slugging percentage and .474 on-base percentage. He also recorded 17 doubles and scored 54 runs during the 2024 season. In addition to being named first team All-MEC at first base, Kiple was also an all-conference second team selection at relief pitcher. He made 12 appearances with a 4.11 ERA this season. He struck out 16 batters, and allowed just seven earned runs on the year.
Kiple leads the league in home runs and doubles, and ranks second in RBIs. He ranks 21st in the nation in slugging percentage and is 26th nationally in home runs.
Morris, a junior from Edenton, N.C., turned in a 7-2 record and 2.61 ERA for the Yellow Jackets this spring. In 62.0 innings pitched, Morris allowed 42 hits and 18 earned runs. He recorded 76 strikeouts on the year. In addition to begin named a first team selection as a starting pitcher, Morris was also a second team All-MEC outfielder. At the plate, Morris batted .278 with 13 home runs, 10 doubles and 39 runs batted in. He also had 37 runs scored on the year.
Morris ranks ninth nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.10), 23rd in strikeouts per nine innings (11.03), and 29th in earned run average.
Bouma, from Brookeville, Md., batted .370 on the year with four home runs, 17 doubles and 47 RBIs. He also had 54 hits, 34 runs scored and six stolen bases for the Bobcats as a freshman. Bouma recorded a .568 slugging percentage and .492 on-base percentage.
Fifth-year Frostburg State head coach Anthony Williams led the Bobcats to a 36-12 record in 2024, including a 24-4 mark in conference play to win the MEC North Division Championship. The Bobcats enter this week’s MEC tournament as winners of nine of their last 10 games. Frostburg State currently ranks fifth in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings.
The MEC All-Conference teams are listed below. Honorees were listed as first team, second team or honorable mention.
| All-MEC First Team | ||
| Pos. | Name | School |
| C | Cy Probst | Frostburg State |
| 1B | Mike Huber | West Virginia St. |
| 1B | Ethan Kiple | Frostburg State |
| 2B | Zack Saryeldin | Concord |
| SS | Kyle Waters | West Virginia St. |
| 3B | Braden Killens | Wheeling |
| Utility | Casey Finck | Charleston |
| DH | JD Armstrong | Charleston |
| OF | Fabian Escalante | Glenville State |
| OF | Danny Estrada | Frostburg State |
| OF | James Salvatori | West Liberty |
| OF | Randy Steen | Frostburg State |
| SP | Patrick Bauer | Frostburg State |
| SP | Austin Corn | Glenville State |
| SP | Kenny Jinks | Wheeling |
| SP | Chris Morris | West Virginia St. |
| RP | Grant Landis | Glenville State |
| x | ||
| All-MEC Second Team | ||
| Pos. | Name | School |
| C | Evan Ulrich | Charleston |
| 1B | Chris Satcher | Concord |
| 2B | Drew Klaserner | Charleston |
| SS | Quintin Smith | Fairmont State |
| 3B | Mikey Guy | Frostburg State |
| Utility | MJ Hunter | Concord |
| DH | Zac Bayor | Glenville State |
| OF | Hector Carreon | Charleston |
| OF | Demetri Jamison | Concord |
| OF | Chris Morris | West Virginia St. |
| OF | Nathan Paulsen | West Virginia St. |
| SP | Owen MacNeil | Charleston |
| SP | Julian Minaya | Glenville State |
| SP | Andrew Neff | Concord |
| SP | Max Proctor | Frostburg State |
| RP | Ethan Kiple | Frostburg State |
| x | ||
| All-MEC Honorable Mention | ||
| C: Thatcher Poteat (WVWC); 2B: Ryan Bouma (FROST); SS: Trevor Thomas (WLU); 3B: Ryan Goff (FAIR); Utility: Logan Bradish (D&E); DH: Michael Dupont (CU); OF: Ryan Kay (WVSU), Scott Kondroik (WU), Brayden McCallister (UC), Aidan Willard (WU); SP: Trace Hartman (UC), Nicholas Martinez (WU), Kody McCarley (WU), Jacob McDonald (FROST); RP: Trey Ritchie (UC) | ||
| 2024 MEC Baseball Top Honors | ||
| Player of the Year: Ethan Kiple (Frostburg State) Pitcher of the Year: Chris Morris (West Virginia St.) Freshman of the Year: Ryan Bouma (Frostburg State) Coach of the Year: Anthony Williams (Frostburg State) | ||
