Niedzwiedz Tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year by D1Baseball.com
January 28, 2026, 10:20 AM
SIUE baseball junior Ryan Niedzwiedz(North Aurora, Illinois) has been selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year by D1Baseball.com as part of its OVC Season Preview.
The college baseball news outlet also tabbed SIUE for a third-place finish in the OVC.
Niedzwiedz was an All-OVC first team selection as a sophomore in 2025 after finishing the season 10th in the league with a .332 batting average. He was second on the team with 66 hits and was third on the team with 46 RBIs. He tied for the team lead with 13 doubles and added eight home runs. Niedzwiedz hit .363 during conference play, which was good for seventh best.
The Cougars open the 2026 season Feb. 13 at North Alabama.
