Steele’s Stellar Season: Player Earns MIAA Co-Player of the Year
Jenner Steele, Newman University’s senior first basemen from Branson, Missouri, is the first Jet in school history to earn MIAA Player of The Year for any sport.
Steele was named a 2023 MIAA Baseball Co-Player of the Year, leading the list of postseason baseball awards of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Not only did he earn MIAA First Team honors, but his play on the diamond also helped Newman earn its first berth in the MIAA baseball tournament.
Steele is the first Jet to earn any “top player” honor since Tyler Bugner earned the Heartland Conference Player of the Year in 2016. Bugner was a draft pick of the Colorado Rockies following his final season at Newman.
Steele’s outstanding performances in the 2022-23 season put him at the top of the MIAA statistics in several categories, including average (.423), on-base + slugging percentage (1.308), hits (85), total bags (165) and slugging percentage (.821). He finished second in home runs (20) and on-base percentage (.487) and third in runs batted in (RBI) (66). He even broke the single-season home run record and currently holds the single-season RBI record.
In May, Steele earned ABCA/Rawlings Central Region Second Team at first base.
“Being honored with the titles of MIAA Co-Player of the Year and a place on the ABCA/Rawlings Central Region Second Team speaks to the many years of dedication and the fulfillment of a childhood dream,” Steele said. “I came to Newman after three years at junior colleges and few opportunities to continue at the NCAA level, but it has been one of my greatest blessings.”
He added, “I love this team and am honored to have played a role in our success and making history for the program.”
Three fellow teammates landed noteworthy successes in the same season, bolstering the opportunity to compete in the MIAA Tournament.
Jake Angelico, earned Third Team All-MIAA honors. The New Braunfels, Texas, native was second on the team in average (.349), runs (53), hits (65), doubles (13), and RBIs (63). His 27 stolen bases were second in the MIAA.
Jason Schneider, the Jets’ third baseman from Austin, Texas, also made the Third Team All-MIAA. Schneider was third on the team in average (.339) and hits (652).
Senior outfielder Zack Stewart earned MIAA Honorable Mention, finishing regular season play second on the team in home runs with 15.