Brinker, Brough, Earnest, and Hughes Take Top SLIAC Baseball Honors

Collin Brinker, Austin Brough, Austin Earnest, and Deion Hughes took home top honors for the 2016 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) baseball season. Hughes was named the SLIAC Player of the Year while his teammate Brinker was named Pitcher of the Year. Brough picked up Coach of the Year honors and Austin Earnest was named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year.

Deion Hughes, a senior from Jefferson City, Mo., led Westminster College at both the plate and on the mound. Hughes, an outfielder and pitcher, led the Blue Jays in both batting average and wins to become the second consecutive player from Westminster to garner Player of the Year honors. During conference play he hit .376 with two home runs and 21 runs batted in, scoring 24 runs and tying for the team lead in doubles with nine. On the mound Hughes was 6-1 against SLIAC competition with a 1.67 earned-run average and 45 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. He ranked in the top three in the league in both wins and earned-run average while leading the conference in complete games and shutouts.

Collin Brinker is the first player from Westminster College to be named the SLIAC Pitcher of the Year. Brinker, a senior from Auxvasse, Mo., finished conference play with a 1.36 earned-run average and recorded a perfect 7-0 record in his eight starts; striking out 49 in 53 innings pitched. Brinker led the conference in wins, earned-run average, and innings pitched while also ranking third in strikeouts.

Austin Brough was voted the SLIAC Coach of the Year after leading MacMurray College to their first postseason appearance since 1999, finishing first in the SLIAC East Division with a 15-7 conference record and going 22-18 overall. Brough, in his first season as head coach of the Highlanders, becomes the fourth different, and second consecutive, head coach of the Highlanders to earn conference Coach of the Year honors.

Austin Earnest, a freshman from Ironton, Mo., is the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year after stepping into the Griffins rotation and leading the club with three conference wins this spring. Earnest made five starts during conference play, throwing 32.1 innings and striking out 40 batters. His 11.13 strikeouts per game during conference action was second best in the league with a season high of 13 strikeouts. He is the sixth player in program history to be named Newcomer of the Year and the first since 2007.

In addition the SLIAC Team Sportsmanhip Award is shared by Eureka College and Principia College. The award is given to the team or teams whose players, coaches and fans best exhibit the principles of good sportsmanship. The SLIAC also recognizes one individual from each team, selected by his coach and teammates, who throughout the season best displays the ideals of sportsmanship. To see a full list of the 2016 SLIAC Baseball All-Conference team and award winners see below.