The Central Methodist baseball duo of Robbie Merced and Nick Merkel were recognized as National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-Americans by the national office Tuesday. 

Merced, a junior, was named a First Team All-American, while Merkel, a senior, earned Honorable Mention honors. This marks the first recognition for Merced and the second-consecutive year for Merkel.

The first and second teams are also recognized as American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Americans. The ABCA began recognizing All-Americans in 1949 and named its first ABCA NAIA All-America team in 1969.

Merced served as Central’s primary shortstop in 2022, appearing in 57 games and batting .444 with 76 hits, including 11 doubles, four triples, and a single-season program record of 24 home runs. He also recorded 86 RBI, also a new single-season record, and was in the top five nationally in both RBI and home runs. 

For his efforts in conference play, the Springfield, Missouri native was named a Heart First Team All-Conference performer and the 2022 Heart Player of the Year.

Merkel was recognized as an Honorable Mention All-American after being named to the second team a season ago. The Spokane, Washington native made 16 starts, tossing 106 total innings and striking out 136 batters. Overall, Merkel posted an 11-4 record with a 2.29 earned run average, earning him Heart First Team All-Conference honors.

With 136 strikeouts this past season and 106 innings pitched, Merkel became the season leader in both categories. In addition, his nine complete games also marked a season record. Merkel’s 14 wins in 2021 is another season record that he carries with him. Merkel is also the career leader in strikeouts (285) and wins with 29.

Central finished the year with a 42-15 overall record, a conference tournament championship and a trip to the national tournament for the sixth consecutive season.