ST. PAUL, Minn. - The awards keep coming for Jack Hines. He was honored as the top player in the central region as four earned D2CCA All-Central Region honors, announced Thursday afternoon. Hines and Ashton Michek were named to the NCBWA All-Central Region First Team while Tate Meiners and Caleb Saari earned second team honors.

Jack Hines
Hines earns recognition from another publication after closing the season hitting .445 with 93 hits, 21 home runs, 89 RBI, 77 runs scored, 178 total bases, an .852 slugging percentage and a 1.337 OPS. He was the only player in the country to rank in the top 10 nationally for each category. He left his mark on Augustana, breaking the program single-season records for slugging percentage, home runs, RBI and total bases while adding top-five marks in batting average, runs scored, hits and triples.

Hines is the second Viking in program history to be named D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year
 
Ashton Michek
The NSIC Pitcher of the Year went 8-3 with a 3.64 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings. He also racked up a program record 11 pickoffs, breaking a record that he set in 2023. Michek was great in the regular season, holding a 2.81 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings while allowing a .226 opponent's batting average. 

Tate Meiners
Meiners earns his first All-Region honor after being stellar as a utilityman. In 51 games playing at second base, third base and the outfield, the All–NSIC Second Team honoree hit .338 and was third on the team with 13 home runs while accumulating a 1.140 OPS. He rode a hot streak into postseason play, slashing a ridiculous .535/.623/1.186 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in the final 14 games of the regular season. 

Caleb Saari
An All-NSIC first teamer, Saari finished the year 9-1 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while striking out 85 in 74 2/3 innings. Over his last four starts he was even more dominant, going 4-0 with 26 strikeouts in 25 innings while allowing six runs and 20 hits.