CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) released its 2025 baseball season awards and All-Conference teams on Wednesday, May 14 with four Knights earning a spot on an All-Conference team.
Eliot Jurgensen is a First Team All-Conference selection for the first time in his career after earning second team honors the past two seasons. The senior center fielder led Wartburg in hits this season with 47, while also ranking inside the top three in batting average (.313), runs scored (34), doubles (eight), home runs (seven), total bases and steals (seven). The Ames, Iowa native was a staple in the Knights outfield with a fielding percentage of .938 with 76 putouts. Jurgensen recorded both the longest hitting streak (19 games) and reached base streak (25 games) of the season for Wartburg, while also leading the team in multi-hit games with 14.
Joey Ciero earned his first career All-Conference team selection this season with a second team nod after being named an honorable mention in 2024. The graduate senior pitcher made 12 appearances on the mound in 2025 with 11 starts and one complete game pitched. Ciero pitched 70.1 (fifth in A-R-C) innings this season and compiled a 6-3 record (tied for third in A-R-C in wins) in decisions as well as 64 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.84 and an opponent batting average against of .291. Ciero has a team-high four starts of seven or more innings pitched this season.
Carter Stubitz is an All-Conference selection for the first time in his career after earning a second team honor in 2025. The Naperville, Ill. native led the Knights in both home runs and RBI in 2025 with nine and 39 respectively. The fifth-year catcher marked career highs in runs scored (27), hits (39), batting average (.273), doubles (seven), home runs (nine, fourth in A-R-C), RBI (39), slugging percentage (.510), on-base percentage (.425), walks (32, second in A-R-C) and OPS (.935) this season. Behind the plate, Stubitz posted a .980 fielding percentage and caught eight runners stealing. Stubitz is second all-time in runners caught stealing with 52 in his career.
Zach Walton earned his fourth career All-Conference honor in 2025 with a second team selection. The fifth-year first baseman led Wartburg in batting average (.315), runs scored (44, second in A-R-C), OPS (1.013), on-base percentage (.482, second in A-R-C), slugging percentage (.531), walks drawn (34, led A-R-C) and hit by pitches drawn (13). The Farmington, Minn. native hit eight home runs and seven doubles this season to set new career records at Wartburg in both statistics. Walton finished the season with a .989 fielding percentage to move his career total to .992, which ranks tied for third best all-time at Wartburg.
Full All-Conference Teams
| 2025 All-American Rivers Conference Baseball Team |
| Position Player of the Year - Evan Taylor, Buena Vista University |
| Pitcher of the Year - Mark Eddie, Buena Vista University |
| Rookie of the Year - Kaden Struck, Buena Vista University |
| Coach of the Year - Steve Eddie, Buena Vista University |
| Pitcher of the Year |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Mark Eddie |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
P |
Storm Lake, Iowa/Storm Lake |
| Pos. Player of the Year |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Evan Taylor |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
C |
Redfield, Iowa/Panorama |
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Joel Garcia # % |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
SS |
Laredo, Texas/John B. Alexander |
| Morgan Smith |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
P |
Boone, Iowa/Boone |
| Drew Taylor # & |
Buena Vista |
Sr. |
3B |
Redfield, Iowa/Panorama |
| Jake Brosius ! % |
Coe |
So. |
OF |
Dubuque, Iowa/Iowa |
| Ryan Thoreson -h1 |
Coe |
Jr. |
C |
Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley |
| Jack Walsh |
Coe |
So. |
P |
Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert |
| Jake Cekander # & |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Grad. |
UTL |
Chula Vista, Calif./East Lake |
| Aidan Elfering # |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Sr. |
P |
Bird Island, Minn./BOLD |
| * Jackson Cullen @ |
Loras |
Jr. |
OF |
Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic |
| Vince Polizzi # |
Loras |
Jr. |
DH |
Naperville, Ill./St. Francis |
| Trevor Segraves |
Loras |
Sr. |
2B |
Valencia, Calif./Valencia |
| Josh Matanich @ -h2 |
Luther |
5th Yr. |
1B |
Lake City, Minn./Lincoln |
| Mark Prince -h1 |
Luther |
Sr. |
OF |
Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon |
| Trey Castile |
Simpson |
Sr. |
P |
Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian |
| Dante Dolash |
Simpson |
Sr. |
RP |
Eldora, Iowa/South Hardin |
| Eliot Jurgensen # & |
Wartburg |
Sr. |
OF |
Ames, Iowa/Ames |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Garrett Guenther |
Central |
So. |
SS |
Grayslake, Ill./Central |
| Mark Kenney # |
Central |
Jr. |
P |
Fennimore, Wis./Fennimore |
| Mitchell Eckardt @ |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
2B |
O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville Liberty |
| Ethan O'Donnell # -h2 |
Coe |
Sr. |
P |
North Liberty, Iowa/Liberty |
| Tyce Johnson @ |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
UTL |
Indianola, Iowa/Indianola |
| Charlie Jaeger -h1 |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Grad. |
P |
Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert |
| CJ Boudreaux |
Luther |
Sr. |
RP |
Humble, Texas/Atascocita |
| Zach Gwost |
Luther |
Jr. |
OF |
Little Falls, Minn./Little Falls |
| Gavin Scurr # |
Luther |
Sr. |
C |
San Diego, Calif./University City |
| Aaron Chazin |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
OF |
Sylmar, Calif./Granada Hills |
| Easton Johnson |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Jr. |
3B |
Gilbert, Iowa/Gilbert/Iowa Central CC |
| Nate Cagley -h1 |
Simpson |
Jr. |
DH |
Jesup, Iowa/Jesup |
| Trenton Kingrey |
Simpson |
So. |
OF |
Knoxville, Iowa/Knoxville |
| Joey Ciero -h1 |
Wartburg |
Grad. |
P |
Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West |
| * Carter Stubitz |
Wartburg |
5th Yr. |
C |
Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley |
| Zach Walton @ ^ -h4 % |
Wartburg |
5th Yr. |
1B |
Farmington, Minn./Farmington |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Kaden Struck |
Buena Vista |
Fr. |
1B |
Omaha, Neb./Millard West |
| Dylan Johnson |
Buena Vista |
Fr. |
RP |
Papillion, Neb./Papillion-La Vista South |
| Connor Zegar |
Buena Vista |
Jr. |
DH |
Lincoln, Neb./Malcom |
| Dom DeLaPaz |
Central |
Sr. |
C |
Davenport, Iowa/West |
| Jack Allison -h1 |
Coe |
5th Yr. |
3B |
Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk |
| Jon Wille # |
Coe |
So. |
SS |
Dubuque, Iowa/Senior |
| Daniel Maller -h1 |
Univ. of Dubuque |
Sr. |
OF |
St. Charles, Ill./St. Francis College Prep |
| Cody Sunny |
Loras |
Jr. |
1B |
Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott |
| Brady Bell |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
UTL |
Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln East/Hutchinson CC |
| Carter Betts |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
2B |
Omaha, Neb./Millard West |
| Tommy Fiocchi |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
OF |
Monument, Calif./Lewis Palmer/Otero |
| Owen Duckworth |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
So. |
1B |
Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail |
| Robbie Ross |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
Sr. |
RP |
Berthoud, Colo./Berthoud |
| Jacob Roberts |
Simpson |
Fr. |
3B |
Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant Farrar |
| Previous Awards Key |
| * - At-Large Selection |
| ! - 2024 Position Player of the Year |
| @ - 2024 First-Team All-Conference |
| # - 2024 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h1 - 2024 Honorable Mention |
| $ - 2023 Pitcher of the Year |
| % - 2023 First-Team All-Conference |
| & - 2023 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h2 - 2023 Honorable Mention |
| ^ - 2022 Second-Team All-Conference |
| -h3 - 2022 Honorable Mention |
| -h4 - 2021 Honorable Mention |
