ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T senior first baseman Michael Ward (Hazelwood, MO/Hazelwood West), who has set the school's single season home run record during the 2021 campaign, was named today to the Great Lakes Valley Conference's all-league second team for the current campaign.

Ward ranks 10^th in the GLVC in hitting this season with a .385 average and his 12 home runs are tied for third in the conference with Quincy's Michael Nielsen.  He has 26 extra base hits this season among his 45 hits and owns a slugging percentage of .821 that ranks third in the GLVC to go along with 30 runs batted in.

Coupled with his on-base percentage mark of .543 that ranks second in the conference just behind the .544 mark of GLVC Player of the Year Zion Pettigrew of Illinois Springfield, Ward heads into the GLVC Tournament with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) mark of 1.364 is also the third-highest in the conference behind Pettigrew (1.593) and his teammate Kal Youngquist (1.395).

Ward is the first Miner infielder to land All-GLVC honors since Matt Gruse was chosen on that squad at third base following the 2018 season and only the second first baseman to be selected to the all-conference team since S&T joined the GLVC prior to the 2006 campaign.  Lance Portwood was a second-team selection in 2013 at that position.

Last weekend, Ward broke the S&T single season home run when he hit his 11^th home run in Saturday's contest at Truman State, breaking Nick Ulrich's mark of 10 set in 2016.  Ward homered again on Sunday in the third inning to give the Miners the lead for good in their 13-3 win over the Bulldogs.

In addition, Miner catcher Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) was selected as S&T's honoree for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.  The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners.

The Miners open play in the GLVC Tournament Thursday when they take on Lindenwood at 4 p.m. in St. Charles, Mo.