MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State University head baseball coach Jeremy Ische announced today the program's award winners for the 2025 season.
 
The members of the Mustang team selected the awards with junior outfielder Levi Lampert and senior pitcher Ryan Chmielewski, headlining the list. Lampert was named the team's most valuable player, while Chmielewski was named the team's most valuable pitcher.
 
Junior shortstop Brock Woitalla was named the team's best defensive player, while senior outfielder Owen Latendresse earned the Mustang Award for the third straight season, which goes to a player who best exemplifies the character, spirit, dedication, hard work and enthusiasm for SMSU baseball.

Senior pitcher Noah Cekalla was honored with the Derrick Keller Award, which is given to a Mustang team member that best demonstrates the qualities of courage, determination and perseverance. Keller, a 2011 graduate of St. Louis Park (Minn.) High School, signed a letter of intent to play baseball at SMSU but was never able to play for the Mustangs after being diagnosed with leukemia on Aug. 1, 2011. He battled the disease for 10 months before passing away on June 26, 2012.

A 2025 All-NSIC first team honoree, Lampert, started all 47 games while batting .339, and ranked first on the team in numerous offensive categories. A native of Upsala, Minn., he reached base in all 47 games, while ranking first in doubles (14), home runs (11), total bases (104), slugging pct. (.619), runs (54), walks (32), hit by pitches (15), multi-RBI games (10) and on-base pct. (.479). He ranked second in base hits (57) and stolen bases (11).
 
An All-NSIC second team honoree this spring, Chmielewski, a native of Foley, Minn., led SMSU with five victories, while pitching a team-high 57 1/3 innings in 10 starts with three complete games. He finished with a 4.40 ERA, led the team with 53 strikeouts, while opponents batted just .233. He pitched six or more innings in six starts, while allowing two earned runs or less those six starts. He also did not allow an earned run in four starts totaling 29 1/3 innings.
  
In the SMSU record book, Chmielewski closed his career ranking second in games started (42), third in innings pitched (232 1/3) and third in strikeouts (219). It's the third time Chmielewski has been named SMSU's best pitcher.
 
Woitalla played in 45 games with 43 starts, committing 15 errors, while registering 113 assists and 65 putouts for a .922 fielding percentage. The 113 assists rank tied for 11^th in team single-season history.
 
Latendresse, a native of Weston, Wis., closed the season batting .321 with 13 doubles, four home runs, two triples and 25 RBIs. He led the team with 12 stolen bases. He ended his career as the program's all-time leader in triples (12), while ranking second all-time in at bats (612), tied for fourth in hit by pitches (34), fifth in hits (201) and fifth in total bases (313).
 
Cekalla, from Pierz, Minn., pitched in six games with two starts this season. He missed the final three weeks of the 2024 season with an injury but worked his way back to pitch in 2025.
 
SMSU finished the season 23-24 overall and placed ninth in the NSIC with a record of 18-22.
 
SMSU players have selected the team awards each year since the 1971 season.