Five Players Receive GSAC All-Conference Baseball Honors
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Five members of the ACU baseball team received Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) All-Conference honors, according to an official release by the conference office earlier today.
The five ACU players recognized as GSAC All-Conference Team members are starting pitcher Brett Aker, first baseman Justen Burkey, relief pitcher Anthony DeFrancesco, shortstop Ramon Miranda, and outfielder Brent Smith. DeFrancesco also earned a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess on the mound.
Aker was a workhorse atop the Firestorm pitching rotation and threw a team-high 79-2/3 innings across 14 starts and 16 appearances. His 10 wins (10-1) tied his own program record for wins in a season as he posted a 5.20 ERA while striking out 63 batters this season, ranking him second on the team.
Head Coach Joe McDonald commented on Aker’s season by saying, “Brett is a winner. He just flat wins. He went 24-5 in 2-1/2 seasons and is at the top of the country in wins again this year. His competitive spirit and selfless lifestyle will carry over into his life as a husband, father, teacher and coach. I love him like a son and I am so proud of the turnaround he made in life and in baseball.”
Burkey was a consistent presence in the middle of ACU’s lineup all season. He started and played in all 55 games for the Firestorm and set a new program record in on-base percentage (.500), shattering a nine-year record set by Eddie Aplin during the 2012 season (.479). He also became just the third player in program history to finish the season with a .400 batting average or higher, tying Phil Creecy for second all-time in program history (.400). Offensively, Burkey led his team this season in on-base percentage (.500), batting average (.400), walks (32), and tied for the team lead in doubles (17). He finished tied for second in hits (76) and finished second in RBI (55), third in home runs (6), and fourth in runs scored (38).
Concerning Burkey, Coach Mac said, “Justen “Turkey” Burkey is one of the best pure hitters there is in the game. His unwavering love of his teammates, coaches and baseball is contagious. I am so proud of his perseverance and ability to overcome all he has in life to be where, and who he is today.”
DeFrancesco set the gold standard for relief pitchers in the conference this season in a team-high 22 appearances, posting a 3.08 ERA while holding opponents to just a .217 batting average. Despite being a reliever, DeFrancesco finished with a 4-3 record and finished third on the team in strikeouts (62). On top of making the All-Conference Team, DeFrancesco was also the lone player to win a Gold Glove for his excellent defensive play on the mound.
Coach Mac stated this about his star reliever, “Anthony has come a very long way to be one of the best arms in college baseball. He has transformed and grown so much in all four dimensions, and it was fun to help and watch him evolve into the pitcher he is today.”
Miranda, like Burkey, was not only a consistent bat in the lineup all year, but unquestionably provided the most pop. His 10 home runs led the team, but also entered him into the record books as just the third player in program history to reach double-digit dingers. He bested the previous single-season RBI record of 55 with 57 this season and totaled 30 extra-base hits out of his 76 hits on the season. Mostly hitting in the cleanup spot, Miranda walked more times than he struck out, batted .382, finished with a .444 on-base percentage, and led his team in slugging percentage (.648).
About the stellar play of his shortstop, Coach Mac said, “Ramon is as solid as all-around players can be. He was my very first recruiting phone call and has earned everything he has accomplished. There is nobody more competitive daily than Ramon.”
Smith not only had a great season, but will go down as one of the most decorated players in ACU baseball history. A former NAIA All-American honorable mention and Westphal Award recipient, Smith continued to shine this season with a team-best 81 hits in 221 at bats. Already ACU’s all-time hit king, Smith’s 81 hits is the second-most by a player in a single season, trailing only himself from the 2019 season (87). He batted .367 with a .438 on-base percentage and also broke his own single-season program record of runs scored (64 in 2019) with 67 this season. He swiped a second-best 17 bases this season and also totaled 13 doubles, 23 RBI, and 21 walks. Smith currently holds more records than any other player in ACU baseball program history.
Coach Mac put a bow on Smith’s season and career by saying, “Brent has left a legacy that is unmatched and deserves every piece of hardware he has earned. I have personally learned so much from him and how he models a christlike lifestyle in all that he does. He has broken many ACU records, but the one that is not recorded is the number of lives impacted. I have been blessed to be a part of his journey here.”
