SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury baseball pitcher and infielder Ryan Colombo was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and five Panthers were named all-conference as the league announced their end-of-season awards Wednesday night.
Colombo led Drury on the mound and at the plate as the Panthers ended the season 33-17, 19-9 in the conference and won the GLVC-West title. The senior from Topeka, Kansas is 8-2 with a 2.79 earned run average in 12 starts on the mound. He has worked 90.1 innings and recorded 65 strikeouts against just 28 walks. At the plate, Colombo leads the Panthers with a .409 average while hitting three home runs and driving in 31 runs. He also led the team with 11 doubles. Defensively, Colombo saw time at first base, second base, and shortstop in addition to his role as a starting pitcher and committed just two errors in 50 games played.
Colombo was also named a first team All-GLVC West Division performer. He is the second player in program history to win GLVC Player of the Year honors. Nick Thimesch won the honor for Drury in 2014.
Nic Perkins and Garrett Woods were also named first team All-GLVC West. Perkins, a junior transfer from ‘Ole Miss, played catcher and first base and is hitting .358 with seven home runs and a team-leading 44 RBI’s in 49 games. Woods, a senior from Republic, Missouri, is 8-2 in 12 starts on the mound. He has a 3.39 ERA and has struck out 75 with 17 walks in 74.1 innings.
Alex Austin and Ryan Kayhill were selected as second team All-GLVC West. Austin, a sophomore from Springfield-Glendale, is 4-2 with six saves and a 3.57 ERA. Outfielder Ryan Kayhill, a sophomore from Lee’s Summit, carries a .346 batting average with three homers and 27 RBI’s.
Drury opens play in the GLVC tournament on Thursday against Saint Joseph’s at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark.
