Kiple, Bouma, Williams Receive MEC Baseball Major Postseason Awards

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference announced its 2024 Baseball award winners and all-conference teams on Tuesday, one day prior to the start of the conference tournament. 
 
Frostburg State senior first baseman Ethan Kiple was named MEC Baseball Player of the Year, while freshman Ryan Bouma, second baseman, earned the league's Freshman of the Year, and Bobcat head coach Anthony Williams received MEC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. 
 
Kiple, while earning All-MEC First Team honors as well as a first baseman, is batting .389 on the season, recording 63 hits while leading Frostburg and the conference in doubles (17) and runs (54), while continuing to lead the team in home runs (16) and RBI (56).  As a relief pitcher, Kiple also received All-MEC Second Team honors, seeing 12 appearances for 15.1 innings pitched, picking up a win, four saves, and 16 strikeouts. 
 
Receiving All-MEC Honorable Mention as well, Bouma put up a .370 batting average in his first collegiate season, ripping 54 hits and four home runs, while tying Kiple for the team-lead and conference-lead in doubles with 17.  Bouma also scored 34 runs, knocked in 47 RBI, and drew 31 walks. 
 
Williams, in his fifth season leading FSU, surpassed 250 career wins along with 100 Frostburg wins during the 2024 season.  Williams led the Bobcats to a 36-12 overall record with a 24-4 record in conference play during the regular season for the team's most overall wins since 2016, allowing FSU to capture their third straight MEC North Division Title.