Fayette, Mo. — The Central Methodist baseball program saw four players earn Heart of America All-Conference honors, which was announced by the conference office Saturday.
Highlighting the group was senior outfielder Ryan Malzahn, who was named the Heart Baseball Player of the Year. He also earned a Gold Glove for his play in left field and was selected to the All-Conference First Team.
Dariel Rios, Gavin Whitehurst and Zeb Wede were all named to the Second Team.
Malzahn becomes the fifth Eagle in the past six years to be named Heart Player of the Year, joining Bobby Nichols (2024), Robbie Merced (2022 & 2023) and Sergio Macias (2021).
The Foristell, Missouri native was a force at the plate in his final collegiate season, leading both the Eagles and the conference in home runs (16) while posting a .386 batting average, which ranked fifth in the Heart.
He played in 47 games for Central, tallying 56 hits, including nine doubles and two triples. Malzahn drove in 51 RBI, scored 47 runs and compiled a .807 slugging percentage.
He was twice named Heart Baseball Player of the Week and recorded four multi-home run games, including a three-home run performance against Missouri Valley on March 28.
In the outfield, Malzahn posted a perfect fielding percentage, recording 77 putouts in 82 total chances with five assists. He finishes his CMU career as a two-time Heart All-Conference selection after earning Second Team honors in 2025.
Rios played in all 50 games for the Eagles in his first year with the program, primarily at third base. He batted .387 with 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs. The Florida, Puerto Rico native also drove in 45 RBI and scored 36 runs.
His .387 batting average ranked fourth in the Heart of America in 2026.
Whitehurst earned Second Team honors after being named to the First Team as a junior. The senior batted .367 with a .500 slugging percentage, recording seven doubles, one triple and seven home runs. He drove in 33 RBI and scored 42 runs.
Wede rounds out the Eagles' All-Conference selections, joining Rios and Whitehurst on the Second Team after earning honorable mention honors in 2024. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native played in 40 games for Central, appearing in both the outfield and as a designated hitter.
He finished his final collegiate season batting .308 with 36 hits, including six doubles and 12 home runs, which ranked third in the Heart.
Wede also drove in 38 RBI and scored 31 runs. He recorded two multi-home run games in 2026, including a perfect five-for-five performance with a double, two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored against Clarke on Feb. 19.
To view the conference release for the 2026 Heart Baseball All-Conference teams and award winners, click here.
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