West Fargo graduate Andy Gravdahl was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Player of the Year and his coach at Concordia, Chris Coste, was named the conference's Coach of the Year.
Gravdahl, a senior, led the conference in both runs (29) and hits (40) in 20 league games this season. His 40 MIAC hits are the second-most in a season by any conference player since 1980. Gravdahl finished the year with a conference slash line of .506/.530/.785. He totaled 13 extra-base hits and drove in 23 runs, good for the third-highest RBI total in the conference. He is the eighth Cobber to be named MIAC Player of the Year and the first since Kyle Johnson in 2009.
Coste, in his ninth and final season at the Cobbers' helm, led the team to a second consecutive playoff berth with a 14-win season. It was the team's best record since a 14-6 season in 2010 and tied for the team's most successful regular season since going 15-5 in 2003.
The MIAC Coach of the Year honor is the first for Coste, who was also a three-time MIAC Player of the Year for the Cobbers from 1993-95 before embarking on a 16-year professional career that culminated in a World Series championship with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. Coste is the second Cobber baseball coach on record to receive the award from his peers, joining Bucky Burgau who won the award four times (1985, 1992, 2004, 2010).
Gustavus right-hander Mitch Casperson was selected Pitcher of the Year, and Carleton first-year outfielder Sam Chutkow earned MIAC Rookie of the Year honors.
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