LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wesleyan University baseball placed five players on the 2026 All-American Rivers Conference Baseball Team, the league announced Tuesday. Third baseman Easton Johnson earned first-team honors, while shortstop Duncan Ortega and pitcher Garrett Walsh collected second-team recognition. First baseman Brady Bell and right-hander Tyler Spreitzer were named honorable mention.
Ryan Thoreson of Coe College was named Position Player of the Year, Charles Running of Luther College earned Pitcher of the Year honors, Tanner Jackson of Wartburg College was selected as Rookie of the Year and Nathan Roling of Simpson College was named Coach of the Year.
Johnson caps his senior season as a two-time all-conference honoree after earning second-team recognition a year ago. The Gilbert, Iowa native was Nebraska Wesleyan's top offensive performer in 2026, hitting .344 with a .588 slugging percentage and a team-high 36 RBI. Johnson led the Prairie Wolves with 35 hits in conference action and turned in 10 multi-hit games against A-R-C opponents, cracking 17 extra-base hits on the season.
The senior set two single-game school records in 2026, going 6-for-6 at the plate against the University of Dubuque on April 18 and driving in nine runs in a single game against Howard Payne.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ortega capped his senior campaign with the first all-conference honor of his career after emerging as one of the most impactful players in the region. The everyday shortstop ranked in the top 10 in the A-R-C in triples, recording three on the season. Defensively, Ortega led the conference with 108 assists and added 56 putouts, finishing with a .932 fielding percentage at short.
In his first season as a Prairie Wolf, Walsh established himself as Nebraska Wesleyan's most reliable starting pitcher. The Lincoln, Nebraska native ranked fifth in the A-R-C in conference innings pitched with 40 frames and limited opposing hitters to a .273 average. Walsh finished 10th in the conference in ERA at 3.38 and issued only nine walks in A-R-C action. He did not allow an earned run in two of his conference starts. The honor is the first of his collegiate career.
A three-year contributor for the Prairie Wolves, Bell closed his senior season as Nebraska Wesleyan's all-time leader in career saves with 13, surpassing the program record he set a season ago when he established the single-season mark with eight. At the plate, the Lincoln, Nebraska native hit .364 in conference play, ranking seventh in the A-R-C in conference batting average. Bell also served as the team's primary closer out of the bullpen. Tuesday's recognition is the third all-conference honor of his career as he earned second-team honors in 2024 and honorable mention a season ago.
Spreitzer led Nebraska Wesleyan with 18 appearances out of the bullpen in 2026, finishing with a 2.74 ERA that ranked eighth in the A-R-C among conference relievers. The Omaha, Nebraska native held opposing hitters to a .215 average, fifth-best in the conference, and struck out 15 batters while issuing just seven walks in A-R-C action. Spreitzer did not allow an earned run in seven of his conference appearances and collected both of his saves against league opponents. The honor is the first all-conference nod of his career.
