Perez earns GPAC's top freshman award

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Morningside baseball team was well represented Tuesday on the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) All-Conference teams, highlighted by Romani Perez being named the GPAC Freshman of the Year.

Perez earned the conference's top freshman honor after a standout debut season, while also being named to the All-GPAC First Team as a utility infielder. Perez led the Mustangs with 53 RBIs, a .366 batting average, and started in 43 games. Perez tied for second in hits with 56. 

Joining Perez on the First Team were senior Jacob O'Dell at third base, junior Conner Maston in the outfield, and senior Cade Nolan on the mound. O'Dell was the leading home run hitter during a record-breaking season in that category with 16 home runs (24th in NAIA). 

Maston drove in 44 runs and topped the Mustangs with 57 hits. Among qualifying hitters, he also was second with a .363 average. 

Nolan won six games this season, amassing a 4.62 earned run average. He threw 62 1/3 innings, and led the pitching staff with 80 strikeouts. 

Morningside added two more selections to the Second Team, as senior Kai Purdy-Burton was recognized as a pitcher and senior Sam Hanson earned honors as a relief pitcher. 

Purdy-Burton also earned six victories, while leading Morningside with 67 2/3 innings. In his last outing this season, he threw a nine-inning complete-game shutout over Mount Marty, allowing 14 baserunners in a 1-0 win. 

Hanson made 18 appearances and tied the GPAC lead with seven saves. He struck out 36 hitters and allowed 15 earned runs. 

The Mustangs also had multiple players earn honorable mention recognition, including Mason Rego, Kade Yasui, and Conner Maston as a pitcher. 

Rego allowed 12 earned runs in 26 innings, while Yasui pitched during three wins this season. He also had a .427 on-base percentage and drove in 24 runs. As a pitcher, Maston won four games and struck out 57 batters. 

On the season, the Mustangs won 34 games and 21 GPAC contests.