Two Prairie Stars were named to the NCBWA Division II Midwest All-Region Second Team. Both Brant Vanaman and Mark Kattula were recognized by the organization for the first time in their careers.
Brant Vanaman, OF
Brant Vanaman garnered the second All-Region honors of his career when he was named to the NCBWA's Second Team. He was previously named to the ABCA's Second Team in 2022.
Vanaman played and started in 43 games this spring, hitting .395 on 64 hits and adding 49 RBIs, 47 runs, 10 home runs, and a team-leading 4 triples. He appeared in the top-10 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in batting average (.395), slugging percentage (.710), OPS (1.181), and triples (4). He had 48 putouts and 1 assist with a 1.000 fielding percentage. The redshirt junior outfielder recently earned his second career All-GLVC honors when he was named to the First Team for the first time.
Vanaman earned his career-first GLVC Player of the Week Award early in the season after batting .471 (8-for-17) with a .550 on-base percentage in a series against Davenport. He had three home runs, two doubles, and one triple for a 1.235 slugging percentage. He drove in 14 runs and scored 7 of his own. To start the series, Vanaman hit for the first ever cycle in UIS history, going 4-for-5 with 7 RBIs.
Mark Kattula, DH
Mark Kattula, new to the roster this spring, earned his first All-Region honors after joining the Prairie Stars as a transfer from Heartland Community College.
The redshirt junior designated hitter was recently selected as a Great Lakes Valley Conference first-teamer. Kattula played in 48 games, hitting .397 with 73 hits, 46 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 18 doubles, and 7 home runs. He led the Prairie Stars in batting average, hits, and doubles. Kattula also appeared in the top-10 in the GLVC in batting average (.397), hits (73), and doubles (18).
Kattula's Kattula's was the GLVC Player of the Week at the start of this season after success at the MSSU Lion Classic. In the three games, Kattula batted .636 (7-for-11) with a .643 on-base percentage in three games. He hit three doubles and two home runs for a 1.455 slugging percentage. In three games he drove in 10 runs, and scored 5. Against MSU - Mankato he went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, and five RBIs.
The UIS baseball team went 26-23 on the season with an 18-9 record at the UIS Baseball Field. The Prairie Stars were 17-19 against GLVC opponents and won conference series against Missouri S&T, Upper Iowa, and Southwest Baptist.