CROOKSTON, Minn. — For the second time in six years, a Hjelle from East Grand Forks has won the NSIC Player of the Year honor in baseball.
Minnesota Crookston's Jake Hjelle, a junior from East Grand Forks, was named the NSIC Player of the Year on Tuesday. His brother Reed Hjelle won the same honor in 2018.
Jake hit .447 in NSIC play and finished the regular season with a .403 average. Hjelle has a school-record and NSIC-best 22 home runs and NSIC-leading 77 RBI.
Nationally, Hjelle ranks third in NCAA Division II in home runs, sixth in slugging percentage and second in RBI.
Three other UMC players earned specialty honors from the NSIC. Senior Alex Koep, of Parkers Prairie, Minn., was Pitcher of the Year, junior Mike Hallquist, of Fargo, was Newcomer of the Year and freshman Josh Dykhoff, of Wadena, Minn., was Freshman of the Year.
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In addition to the specialty awards, Hjelle, Hallquist, Jake Dykhoff and Koep were all named NSIC First Team. Brody Sorenson, a junior from Grand Forks Red River, and Josh Dykhoff were named to the Second Team.
Sorenson posted a 4.2 mark and a 1.74 earned-run average. He struck out 28 in 41.1 innings and batters hit just .237 against him.
UMC, coached by former East Grand Forks coach Steve Gust, begins NSIC tournament play on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Minot State.
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