Jatczak and Solitaria Headline All-MAC Awards
5/20/2025 11:10:00โฏAM | Baseball
CLEVELAND- The Kent State Golden Flashes baseball team was well represented as the Mid-American conference announced their postseason baseball awards Tuesday morning.
Six Flashes took home an All-Conference honor, including two specialty awards. Third baseman, Hayden Jatczak, was named the MAC Player of the Year and Designated Hitter Sawyer Solitaira took home Freshman of the Year. Outfielder Jake Casey, starting pitcher Jacob Bean join Jatczak and Solitaira on the first team. Luke Matthews was named second-team all-conference at second base while Hunter Klotz earns all-defensive team honors.
Jatczak becomes just the seventh Golden Flash to earn Player of the Year honors and the first since George Roberts in 2012. The grad student slashed .384/.494/.768 on the season while leading the MAC in runs (75), Runs Batted In (78), and lead all of Division 1 baseball with 28 doubles. Jatczak's 75 runs in a Kent State single season program record passing John VanBenschoten's 74 runs in 2001.
Solitaira is the fifth Golden Flash to win Freshman of the Year honors and is the first since Justin Kirby in 2019. ย Solitaria played and started in 51 games for the Flashes hitting .317 in the cleanup spot providing 61 RBIs, on 60 hits, 52 runs scored, and stolen bases (20). The Freshman saw time in the field at left field, third base, first base, and designated hitter.
Casey finished in the top 10 in the conference in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.756), on base percentage (0.498), OPS (1.254), runs scored (73), hits (70), RBIs (55), doubles (20), triples (4), home runs (17), walks (33), and hit by pitches (23).
Bean had a breakout sophomore campaign for the Flashes on the mound. The righy moved his way up the starting rotation starting on Sunday, moving up to Saturday, and finished the year as the Friday night starter. Bean pitched to the third best ERA in the MAC (4.02) while limiting batters to a .242 batting average and striking out 66 batters.
Matthews made an instant impact during his first season in Kent after transferring in. The shortstop played and started in 40 games for the Flashes while hitting to the tune of a .359 batting average which is good for second on the team. Matthews also recorded 55 hits, 47 runs scored, and 29 RBIs while playing solid defense at shortstop.
Klotz was a wall at first base recording 309 putouts, 24 assists, and only making two errors. The senior finished the year with a .994 fielding percentage across 46 games played.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will be back in action on Thursday evening at the MAC Tournament. As the two seed the Flashes clinched a first-round bye and will play the highest-seeded winner from games one and two. First pitch in Avon is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday.
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