ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball program had five players honored by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference on Monday morning when the NACC released its 2024 postseason awards. Shortstop Jake Bilotta and starting pitcher Paul Turelli headlined the group with their Second Team All-NACC selections. Relief pitcher Will Hissong, catcher Alex Perez and outfielder Joseph Stagowski all received NACC Honorable Mention status. Rockford's five all-conference selections matches the most for the program since the 2010 season.

Shortstop Jake Bilotta was voted Second Team All-NACC for the first time in his collegiate career. Bilotta was a clutch performer for the Regents all season long, as he was directly involved in two of Rockford's five walk-off wins this year. Bilotta drove in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning against #18 Benedictine and scored the winning run in the bottom of the tenth against Illinois Tech. He ended his season at or near the top of the team in basically every offensive category, including posting .335 batting average, a .385 on-base percentage, a .529 slugging percentage and a .914 OPS. Bilotta was also in the top 25 in the NACC in six categories. He was tied for the NACC in doubles (19), 11th in runs scored (44), 16th in at bats (155), 19th in total bases (82) and 20th in hits (52) and in runs batted in (35). 

Senior starting pitcher Paul Turelli earned Second Team All-NACC honors in his first year as a Regent. Turelli anchored the Regent pitching staff and was one of the top pitchers in the NACC the entire year. Despite pitching against six of the top seven teams in the NACC, including each of the top five, Turelli ended the NACC Tournament ranking in the top twelve in the conference in six categories. He led the NACC with a .143 batting average against, was fifth in earned runs allowed (20) and in runs allowed (26), seventh in earned run average (3.78), twelfth in starts (9) and third in strikeouts (75) despite pitching 22 less innings than the NACC strikeout leader. He averaged an incredible 13.78 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. 

Junior outfielder Joseph Stagowski was selected NACC Honorable Mention for the second consecutive year. Stagowski hit in the heart of the Regent lineup and crushed a pair of walk-off home runs in the bottom of the seventh against Lakeland and Concordia Chicago. He was rewarded for his outstanding efforts by being named the NACC Baseball Position Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Stagowski finished the NACC Tournament in the top 25 in the conference in six offensive categories. He was eighth in the NACC in home runs (8), 15th in slugging percentage (.601), 16th in total bases (86), 17th in OPS (1.040), 18th in runs scored and 21st in stolen bases (a perfect 9-for-9). 

Senior relief pitcher Will Hissong was named NACC Honorable Mention for the first time in his collegiate career. Hissong anchored the Regent bullpen and broke the school record for appearances in a season (22). He ended his year with a 5-2 record, 36 strikeouts and with opposing batters hitting just .253 against him over his 40.1 innings pitched. Hissong also finished the year with 5 saves, which was just one shy of the NACC leader. 

Senior catcher Alex Perez garnered NACC Honorable Mention status for the first time as a Regent. Perez was an absolute warrior behind the plate, catching in all but one of Rockford's 38 regular season games and each of the Regents' postseason games. He also came up huge for Rockford in clutch situations, including delivering a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth against St. Norbert. He ended the NACC Tournament with a .391 on-base percentage, 42 hits, 7 doubles, 20 runs scored, 24 RBIs and 24 walks.