Jace Kaminska headlines WSU’s postseason conference awards

Sean Marty, Sports Editor|May 25, 2021

Freshman Jace Kaminska throws a pitch during Wichita State’s game against South Florida on May 14 inside Eck Stadium.

The Wichita State baseball team received five awards from the American Athletic Conference all-conference honors on Monday.

Freshman starting pitcher Jace Kaminska headlined the awards by taking home the Newcomer Pitcher of the Year along with All-Conference First Team honors. Kaminska leads WSU with a 2.52 ERA in 11 appearances and nine starts this season. He is 7-1 on the mound and has allowed 15 earned runs on 48 hits with 45 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.

Aaron Haase, Garrett Kocis, Paxton Wallace and Corrigan Bartlett wrapped up the awards with each earning spots on All-Conference First Team, joining Kaminska.

Junior Aaron Haase throws a pitch during Wichita State’s game against East Carolina on May 9 inside Eck Stadium. (Sean Marty)

Haase has emerged as the Shockers’ closer this year and has collected eight saves, which is tied for the most in the conference. Haase is 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA this season. He has allowed only three earned runs this season on 12 hits with 24 strikeouts.

Wichita State junior Garrett Kocis stands at first base during the game against the Memphis Tigers at Eck Stadium on May 22, 2021. (Lena Alhallaq/ The Sunflower)

Although Kocis’ season was cut to only 33 games due to a wrist injury, he leads the Shockers with 12 homers, which is the fourth most in the conference. Kocis is hitting .298 for the season to go along with 37 hits and a team-best .685 slugging percentage.

Junior Paxton Wallace takes a swing during Wichita State’s game against South Florida on Saturday, May 15 inside Eck Stadium. (Sean Marty)

Wallace has the second-best batting average on the team this year at .328. He has compiled 65 hits in 51 games played to go along with 10 home runs and a team-high 47 RBIs. His 47 RBIs are tied with teammate Corrigan Bartlett for the third most in the AAC.

Redshirt senior Corrigan Bartlett celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against East Carolina on May 1 inside Eck Stadium. (Monique Gaines / The Sunflower)

In Bartlett’s first season with WSU after arriving as a graduate transfer from Saint Louis, he has a team-best .342 batting average. Bartlett has tallied 65 hits, including six homers to go along with his team-high 47 RBIs. Bartlett has also collected seven sacrifice flies which are the most in the AAC and sixth-best in the NCAA.

The Shockers will start postseason play this weekend at the AAC Championships in Clearwater, Florida. WSU earned the three-seed at the tournament and will face off against South Florida on Tuesday. The game will start 47 minutes after the conclusion of No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed game which is slated to start at 3 p.m. The Shockers game can be seen on ESPN+.

All-Conference First Team

Garrett Schoenle, SP, Cincinnati

Gavin Williams, SP, East Carolina

Robert Gasser, SP, Houston

Jace Kaminska, SP, Wichita State

Aaron Haase, RP, Wichita State

Hunter Goodman, C, Memphis

Bennett Lee, C, Tulane

Garrett Kocis, 1B, Wichita State

Connor Norby, 2B, East Carolina

Colin Burns, SS, Tulane

Paxton Wallace, 3B, Wichita State