Gavyn Beckner has been named Central Ozark Conference co-Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. Beckner shares the top player honor with Klayton Kiser of Willard.
Republic coach Curt Plotner was voted Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 22-10 record and a share of the COC championship. Six players besides Beckner also earned all-COC recognition.
Beckner was one of the top players in the league, both as a hitter and a pitcher. At the plate, he hit .367 and reached base at a .424 clip. He drove in 39 runs to lead Republic, and he scored 23 times. He also stole nine bases. As a pitcher, he compiled a 1.85 earned run average, striking out 56 and walking 17 while pitching in many of the biggest games of the season. His won-loss record was 7-1.
Pitcher Myles Lozano, catcher Wyatt Woods, and outfielder Garrett Lester joined Beckner on the all-conference first team.
Lozano led Republic with a 1.70 earned run average and finished with an 8-1 record. He struck out 44 and walked only 13 batters in 13 appearances, with 45 1/3 innings pitched.
Woods got on base in more than half his plate appearances, hitting .342 and racking up an on-base percentage of .509. He drew 23 walks.
Lester had an on-base percentage of .457, drawing 24 walks and hitting .324. He stole ten bases and was only caught stealing once, and he played the equivalent of Gold Glove defense in center field.
Caide White, Devon Hughes, and Andrew Schroeder were named to the all-COC second team. White led the team in strikeouts with 67 in only 48 2/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.16. Hughes anchored the infield defense at shortstop while hitting .281, with a .378 on-base percentage and eight stolen bases in nine tries. Schroeder heated up at the plate during the second half of the season finishing with a .291 batting average and an OBP of .356 while patrolling right field.
