Kirck earns 2022 All-MIAA Baseball honors

FREELAND, Mich. – Olivet College sophomore Gabriel Kirck has been named to the 2022 All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Baseball team, as voted by the eight league coaches. The All-MIAA team is based on the player's statistics during the 21-game conference schedule.

Kirck started all 21 MIAA games at first base and posted a .310 batting average (22-of-71). He hit five doubles and four home runs for a .549 slugging percentage to go along with eight walks and two hit-by-pitches for a .390 on-base percentage. In addition, Kirck scored 14 runs and collected 18 RBI. Defensively, he made only two errors in 152 chances for a .987 fielding percentage.

"Gabe was a huge piece of our team this year, playing a great first base and hitting in the middle of our lineup all year long," said Olivet head coach Shelby Dixon. "After not playing much last year, he did an incredible amount of work in the off-season to become someone the rest of the league had to game plan around. We are proud of Gabe and excited to watch him grow the rest of his career."

For Olivet's 35-game schedule, Kirck started 34 games (32 at first base and two at designated hitter) and led the Comets in almost every statistical category. He had a .352 batting average (44-of-125), 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 runs, 36 RBI, .616 slugging percentage and .984 fielding percentage. The six home runs are tied for the seventh-most and the 36 RBI are tied for eighth-most in a season in school history.

Kirck began the season with a 13-game hit streak and ended the year with at least one hit in 25 games. Overall, he had 13 multi-hit games, including a 4-for-5 performance against Ohio Wesleyan University on March 2, as well as 13 multi-RBI games.