MINOT - A pair of the Minot State baseball team’s leaders were honored for their performance on the diamond this spring as both Derek Kay and Gunnar Kozlowitz were named to the American Baseball Coaches Association Rawlings NCAA Division All-Central Region Team.
The right side of the Beavers infield, second baseman Kay and first baseman Kozlowitz were named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 2nd Team. The honor is the first for Kozlowitz, who was named to the team as a 2nd Team at-large infielder, and the third this spring for Kay, who was honored as the 2nd Team second baseman. Kay also was named to the D2CCA and NCBWA Central All-Region Teams.
Kozlowitz, a junior from Littleton, Colo., led the Beavers with a .410 batting average, and his 16 home runs and 16 doubles also were team highs. Playing in 46 of the Beavers’ 48 games, he also was second on the team with 53 RBIs.
Also a 1st Team All-NSIC selection, Kozlowitz added 244 putouts at first base with 13 assists and just one error all second for a .996 fielding percentage.
As for Kay, a senior from Prior Lake, Minn., who played in all 48 games for the Beavers, he hit .355 which was third highest on the team. He added 15 home runs, which was second on the team, led Minot State with 59 RBIs, and stolen a team-high 16 bases. He also had 11 doubles and 5 triples, giving him 7 triples for his two-year career which ranks him No. 2 all-time in that category. His 59 RBIs ranks No. 2 all-time for a single season, as do his 5 triples.
Along with his offensive impact, Kay also was a star in the field at second base as he had 91 putouts and a team-high 84 assists with just 7 errors all season for a .962 fielding percentage.
