Kansas City, Mo. - The Central Methodist Baseball trio of Carlos Negron, Tanner Sears, and Bobby Nichols were tabbed as NAIA All-Americans by the national office this week.
The trio are the most All-America selections for Central since the 2021 season.
Negron was named a Second Team All-American while both Sears and Nichols earned third team honors. Additionally, Negron was recognized by the American Baseball Coaches' Association as a second team selection.
In his first season with the Eagles, Negron made an immediate impact as the No. 4 hitter in Central's lineup. The junior transfer played in all 55 games for Central in the outfield. He batted .419 with 72 hits including 19 home runs, 21 doubles and a triple. He also recorded a .884 slugging percentage and drove in 72 RBI.
In addition, Negron had a perfect fielding percentage in right field. For his performance during conference play, Negron was named a First Team All-Conference selection. He finished his junior year leading the team in home runs, doubles, RBI, batting average, on base percentage (.532), and slugging percentage.
Sears, a junior catcher from Higginsville, Missouri, appeared in all 55 games as the Eagles. He played a number of different positions including catcher, third base, and DH. Sears batted mainly in the third spot in the lineup, finishing the year with a .367 batting average on 62 hits, including 15 home runs and 12 doubles. He drove in a career-high 66 RBI and finished second on the team in home runs and RBI. Sears also led the team with 32 walks and joined Negron as a First Team All-Conference selection.
Nichols rounds out the All-America selections for the Eagles, joining Sears as a third team pick. The senior from Detroit, Michigan appeared in all 55 games for Central, serving as the Eagles' starting outfielder and leadoff hitter. He batted a career-high .377 with a team-leading 77 hits with nine doubles, eight home runs, and three triples. Nichols also drove in 38 RBI and crossed the plate a team-high 65 times. On the basepaths, he swiped 25 stolen bases to bring his career total to 115, a new program record. He also finishes his career with 208 hits, becoming just one of three players in program history to reach the 200-hit plateau. Nichols was named the Heart Co-Player of the Year in the conference as well as a first-team all-conference selection.
The Eagles finished the year with a 44-11 overall record and a 28-4 mark in conference play. Central won the Heart Regular Season Championship for the second straight year and punched its ticket to the NAIA Opening Round.
To view the complete list of the 2024 NAIA/ABCA Baseball All-Americans, please click here.
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