The 2017-2018 season was a year for the Midway Conference to build and grow. This year the Midway played the most games they ever had and traveled more than they have ever before. With that, it bred some tough competition between these teams and led to some stand out players. The following list was chosen by their peers and here are the top 18 players of the Midway.
Here is your 2018 All-Midway Team:
MVP: Tim Ebert (UWP)
This individual did it all for Platteville. Tim would catch when a catch was needed and had an arm to go along with it. As a captain, he made his presence know on the court and had a killer ball fake.
-Written by Erik Zander
2. Alec Scott (DePaul)
Captain Fluffy, the bearded wonder. I was always amazed on the amount of hair he could grow on his face, a true talent. This guy was definitely my top player in the Midway Conference. He threw harder than anyone out there and was an effective communicator on the court. I always hated going against his throw. They will be missing him next year on the court.
-Written by Erik Zander
3. Erik Zander (UWP)
Despite battling an injury for part of the season, Erik Zander’s strong play has earned him the #3 spot on this list. Erik has been a great leader for Wisconsin Platteville over the past few seasons. He is a big reason why UWP remains atop the Midway Conference each year. Not only is Erik a dependable player for the Pioneers as both a thrower and catcher, he is also a very important on court presence.
-Written by Kevin Bailey
4. Ryan Atz (DePaul)
This guy was one of the players I always told my teammates to not throw at. My teammates did however, and wouldn’t you guess Ryan would catch them. He loved to catch, it was just what he did on the court. “Pryan” was a top leader on the court and above all always played the game fair.
-Written by Erik Zander
5. Will Martin (UWP)
The Junior sensation (former sophomore and freshman sensation) had a stellar year. His throw improved a lot this year and if he went at you in a 1v1 you would lose. UWP could always count on him for a catch when it was needed the most.
-Written by Erik Zander
6. Jacob Bish (UNL)
Another guy with a strong arm, and a top player for UNL. He had good court awareness and was able to keep his team in a point. He was a very agile individual on the court, his teammates didn’t call him the airbender for nothing. He made vast improvements from last year and will be tough to replace on the court.
-Written by Erik Zander
7. Tomas Zander (UWP)
This individual improve a lot from last year in terms of skill. He has a very strong cross throw that easily picked off individuals with ease. Tomas is very fast to the line and will always go for the catch. Has the ability to pick off an entire team if given the opportunity and you never want him team throwing with someone because if they throw at you, you are going down. As you can see, he still is not as talented as me. This list proves it.
-Written by Erik Zander
8. Nick Bohlim (UNL)
Nick was the captain this year and was an excellent leader for UNL. He had a strong throw that they had to rely on at times. This was his last year and he helped make Nebraska a solid program that will continue on into the future.
-Written by Erik Zander
9. Louis Thompson (UWP)
Louis was a catching machine for us. When he was a freshman he caught Tyrell Smith from BGSU like it was nothing. (It did leave a huge mark though,). He had a solid arm and was particular good at the no look catch. It sucks to not have him on the court next year.
-Written by Erik Zander
10. Joel Luciano (DePaul)
11. Brennan Roberson (UNL)
In my opinion, he should have been further up the list than this. He had a strong throw and even a better catcher. Brennan will be back next year and it will be fun to see what improvements he will make. If he played well, UNL was tough to beat.
12. Tanner Obermeier (UNL)
Tanner had a very low and accurate throw. He used his experience and knowledge of the game to keep himself in to help lead his team. As a leader, he did any excellent job and is also a part of why the UNL club will continue into the future and keep growing.
-Written by Erik Zander
Honorable Mention
- Alex Burbine (UNL)
- Jake Binder (DePaul)
- Nick Amato (DePaul)
- Troy Kramer (SIUe)
- Joseph Walker (DePaul)
- Kegan Cullen (UNL)
Final Thoughts– So there is your list of the top players of the Midway Conference. Some great players on that list and I feel it will only get closer next year in who takes what spot. This conference is growing and getting more competitive and next year one of these clubs will get a signature win over a top tier team. Now, I ask you the following questions: Are there any players that you feel were left out? Also, how many of the names on the list did you actually know? Comment below and let us know what you think. -Erik Zander