Ryan Kelley Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Ryan Kelley Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) have announced their 2024 All-Region honors. Two players from the Warriors were recognized in these honors. Karter Fitzpatrick, hailing from Monroe, Michigan, and attending Carleton Airport, was named to the First Team by all three organizations. Meanwhile, Kyle Ray from Woodhaven, Michigan received NCBWA Second Team recognition.
Fitzpatrick is a standout player for the Warriors with a career record of 31 wins and nine losses. He has been honored with postseason All-Region distinction for three consecutive seasons. Previously, he was named to the Second Team by all three organizations in 2022 and later received First Team selection last season. Within his school's record book, Fitzpatrick holds impressive rankings: second in innings pitched at 293, third in strikeouts at 270, and fifth in winning percentage at .775. During this spring season alone, he struck out 102 batters which placed him first in the GLIAC and tied-for-ninth nationally. Fitzpatrick maintained a batting average against of .221 during this period.
In one of his memorable performances on May 4 against Purdue Northwest, Fitzpatrick delivered a seven-inning perfect game using only 64 pitches.
Kyle Ray's journey includes playing in a total of 54 games over three seasons before making significant contributions with 43 appearances and 38 starts this year alone as a redshirt-senior backstop. Ray hit an impressive .353 average leading his team while ranking sixth in the GLIAC with notable statistics such as five home runs among other achievements.
Ray's performance earned him accolades including receiving his first GLIAC Player of the Week award on April 8 and being named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team after going three-for-eight with one double across two games.