EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE baseball standouts Easton Harris (Washington, Illinois) and Ryan Niedzwiedz (North Aurora, Illinois) have been selected to the All-Midwest Region teams as chosen by the American Baseball Coaches Association and presented by Rawlings.
Harris was chosen to the first team while Niedzwiedz earned second team honors, becoming the first All-Region selection at SIUE since 2023. The pair helped lead SIUE to a program high in wins (33) and the program's first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Championship.
Harris, who was a first team All-OVC pick, led the league with 12 saves which ranks sixth in NCAA Division I ahead of the College World Series. His 12 saves also are tied for the most in a Division I season in program history. Harris struck out 24 hitters in 24 relief appearances for the Cougars.
Niedzwiedz, who was the OVC Player of the Year, led the league with 27 home runs, which is a single-season record at SIUE and currently ranks seventh in the NCAA. Niedzwiedz tied for the OVC lead in runs batted in with 69, also a single-season record at SIUE and currently 32nd in the NCAA. Overall, he hit .351 while starting all 57 games for the Cougars.
"Easton and Ryan both had great seasons," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "They were important pieces to us winning our first OVC title. I'm happy for them to be recognized for their hard work."
First Team All-Region selections are eligible for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors. The 2026 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-America teams will be announced on Friday, June 12, prior to the start of the NCAA Division I College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
The ABCA All-America Team was first recognized in 1949 and now spans nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II, and III, the Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.
