Baseball All-Decade Team

The Wells College 2020 All-Decade Team in baseball comprises student-athletes that participated during the spring seasons of Wells baseball from its inception. The team consists of 11 selections with its composition based on the most top-30 conference finishes for the top-eight infielders and outfielders and the most top-20 conference finishes for the top-two pitchers. A tie for the eighth spot of infielders/outfielders expanded the team from 10 to 11 with all-conference players receiving automatic placement.*

The 2020 All-Decade team includes (alphabetically): Anthony Aumick (2017-19), Tanner Dunkel (2017-20), Justin Forster (2017-18), Zach Kemp (2017-20), A.J. Nesci (2017-20), Dylan Nolan (2017-20), Brandon Shirley (2017-18), Jared Strait (2017-20), Jordan VanHerpe (2019-20), Mark Yorkey (2017-20) and Tyler Young (2017-20).

While the top nine infielders/outfielders comprise five infielders and four players that spent at least one season primarily as outfielders, the most distinguished player named to the all-decade team has been its catcher from the get-go. Nolan's 32 top-30 conference finishes almost doubles the next closest. Of those 32, 16 times Nolan finished in the conference top-10. His best conference solo finish was at No. 2 in 2020 for putouts with 81. Nolan is the only Wells baseball player to earn all-conference in every season the conference chose a team and is the team's only first team selection. His career numbers include 138 hits, batting average of .371, 89 RBI, 86 runs, 11 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .449, slugging percentage of .602, 56 extra-base hits, 224 total bases, 644 putouts, 72 assists and a .981 fielding percentage.

The next-best total for conference top-30 finishes came from Shirley with 18 for play in the field, while adding another three top-20 finishes in pitching. Shirley was selected all-conference in 2018. His best solo conference finish was at No. 2 in putouts with 244 in 2017. His career numbers include 67 hits, batting average of .313, 50 RBI, 46 runs, 10 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .435, slugging percentage of .486, 29 extra-base hits, 104 total bases, 428 putouts, 25 assists, 27 double plays, fielding percentage of .976, four wins from the mound, 97 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.95.

The two pitchers selected to the baseball all-decade team both have 170 career strikeouts. Kemp is a two-time all-conference selection and finished 11 times in the conference top-20 pitching statistics with his best conference finish at No. 1 with 26 strikeouts in 2020. His career numbers include 15 career wins and a 4.64 ERA. Strait finished 10 times in the conference top-20 pitching statistics with his best conference finish at No. 2 with 24 strikeouts in 2020. His career numbers include 10 career wins with a 4.70 ERA.

The remainder of the infielders include Dunkel, Yorkey and Young. Dunkel finished 15 times in the conference top-30 with his best conference solo finish at No. 3 in assists with 105 in 2018. His career numbers include 100 hits, batting average of .271, 49 RBI, 64 runs, 21 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .363, slugging percentage of .365, 24 extra-base hits, 131 total bases, 123 putouts, 314 assists, 41 double plays and fielding percentage of .864. Yorkey finished 11 times in the conference top-30 with his best conference solo finish at No. 9 in double plays with five in 2020. His career numbers include 76 hits, batting average of .257, 47 RBI, 47 runs, on-base percentage of .341, slugging percentage of .331, 17 extra-bases, 98 total bases, 194 putouts, 176 assists, 22 double plays and fielding percentage of .934. Young finished 10 times in the conference top-30 with his best conference solo finish at No. 1 in putouts with 317 in 2019. His career numbers include 82 hits, batting average of .245, 58 RBI, 47 runs, on-base percentage of .325, slugging percentage of .331, 23 extra-base hits, 111 total bases, 476 putouts, 23 assists and fielding percentage of .982.

Players that saw at least one season at outfield on the baseball all-decade team include Nesci, Aumick, VanHerpe and Forster. Nesci finished 14 times in the conference top-30 with his best conference solo finish at No. 9 in stolen bases with 10 in 2017. His career numbers include 103 hits, batting average of .281, 50 RBI, 79 runs, 21 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .410, slugging percentage of .306, 112 total bases, 216 putouts, 179 assists, 31 double plays and fielding percentage of .934. Aumick finished 13 times in the conference top-30 with his best conference solo finish at No. 5 in stolen bases with 16 in 2019. His career numbers include 107 hits, batting average of .315, 61 RBI, 71 runs, 35 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .397, slugging percentage of .435, 24 extra-base hits, 148 total bases, 159 putouts and a fielding percentage of .922.

Rounding out the outfielders are VanHerpe and Forster, who each finished a half-dozen times in the conference top-30. VanHerpe's best solo conference finish was at No. 1 in stolen bases with 21 in 2019, while Forster's best conference finish was tied at No. 1 in fielding percentage with 1.000 in 2018. Forster's career numbers include 50 hits, batting average of .303, 20 RBI, 39 runs, on-base percentage of .393, slugging percentage of .461, 17 extra-base hits, 76 total bases, 74 putouts and a fielding percentage of .963. VanHerpe's career numbers include 47 hits, batting average of .301, 14 RBI, 43 runs, 23 stolen bases, on-base percentage of .411, slugging percentage of .378, 59 total bases, 65 putouts, 31 double plays and fielding percentage of .957.

*Criteria for individual selections and team composition varies upon available information that may include, but is not limited to, input from coaches, conference distinctions and supporting statistics when available. The conference categories used to determine the top infielders and outfielders included 13 categories (BA, H, R, RBI, OBP, SP, SB, TB, XBH, PO, A, FP, DP), while the conference categories used to determine the top pitchers included three categories (ERA, K, W).