CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) unveiled its annual All-NCAC teams for baseball on Thursday, and five players represented Kenyon College on the all-conference squad. Edwin Groff led the way with a first-team nod, Theo Canning, Tripper Capps, and Malcolm Gaynor appeared on the second team, and Drew Robinson rounded out the Owls with a third-team spot.
Each member of the Owls' quintet is making their first appearance on an all-conference squad, and the five Kenyon honorees are the program's most since five members made the 2015 All-NCAC squad.
Groff handled the designated hitter spot on the All-NCAC First Team. The sophomore leads the conference with a .443 batting average that ranks 33rd amongst NCAA Division III players, racking up 62 hits in 140 at-bats. His batting average is the second-highest single-season mark in Kenyon history. Groff's .721 slugging percentage paces the NCAC and combines with his eighth-ranked on-base percentage (.477) for an OPS of 1.198 that ranks second. Amongst NCAC leaders, the DH's 16 doubles tie for third, his 62 hits and four triples tie for fourth, and his five home runs tie for fifth. The Los Angeles, California, native finished second on the team and 14th in the conference with 38 RBIs and his 38 runs scored also ranked second on the Owls and are tied for 12th in the NCAC.
Canning pitched his way onto the All-NCAC second team by making an immediate impact as a starter in his collegiate debut. The first-year started a team-high nine games, pitched a team-high 50.1 innings, and tied for the second-most wins with a 3-2 record. Over 11 appearances, he pitched to a 4.11 ERA, allowing 23 earned runs and 27 overall on 48 hits and 19 walks. Canning's 45 strikeouts ranked second on the team, and he ranked within the top 10 in the conference in ERA, opposing batting average (.258), and strikeouts.
Capps checks in at the hot corner, third base, on the second team. The junior ranks fifth in the NCAC with a .402 batting average, compiling 47 hits in 117 at-bats. His sixth-ranked .486 on-base percentage combines with an 11th-ranked .564 slugging percentage for a 10th-ranked OPS of 1.050. The Nashville, Tennessee, native added 33 runs, 23 RBIs, 11 doubles, and two homers, all top-four marks on the team. He got plunked 11 times, tying for sixth in the NCAC, and he also tallied nine walks, a triple, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base. Additionally, Capps compiled a whopping 20-game hitting streak during the season, the best on the team.
Gaynor earned a second-team spot for his work at second base. The junior, who led the team in games played with 34 starts over Kenyon's 35-game schedule, paced the Owls in runs (41), home runs (6), RBIs (39), sacrifice flies (6), and hit-by-pitches (13). Gaynor was one of the team's most consistent producers, ranking second in at-bats (130), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.585), and stolen bases (4) while ranking third in batting average (.354), OPS (1.033), hits (46), and walks (14). Amongst NCAC leaders, the Kalamazoo, Michigan, native ranks in the top 12 in RBIs, doubles, OPS, slugging percentage, and runs scored. His six round-trippers are tied for sixth in the conference and fifth-most in a single Kenyon season, and he ranks second in the NCAC in hit-by-pitches and sacrifice flies.
Robinson secured third-team honors as the Owls' stalwart in center field. Offensively, the junior recorded 42 hits in 124 at-bats, a .339 average, and tallied 37 runs, 25 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, eight doubles, four triples, and two homers. His 17 stolen bases rank fifth in the NCAC and ninth in a single season in program history. Robinson's four triples tie Groff for the team lead and fourth in the conference. The Winnetka, Illinois, native was second on the Owls with 16 walks, and his runs, RBIs, and home runs ranked third on the team. Additionally, the center fielder produced four outfield assists and a perfect fielding percentage in 93 chances. He was the only qualified player in the NCAC with a flawless 1.000 fielding mark.
