EIU Athletic Awards

Bryce Riggs from Eastern Illinois baseball has been named the Panthers 2025-26 Male Athlete of the Year as the athletic department announces its end of year awards for this past academic year.
 
Riggs was a huge factor on the mound for the Panthers baseball team that reached the OVC Tournament championship game for the second consecutive year.  The junior was named the OVC Pitcher of the Year this season posting an 8-2 record with a 3.18 ERA for the season.  Riggs was named a semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year, second team All-Region by the ABCA and twice earned OVC Pitcher of the Week honors.  He tied for the OVC lead with 76 strikeouts in 93.1 innings of work with opponents batting just .189 against him for the season.  He did not allow a run through his first two starts of the season with a save the second weekend of the year against Arkansas State.  Riggs picked up an OVC Tournament win over Southeast Missouri with 6.0 innings of work.  He posted a season high 11 strikeouts in a win over Lindenwood (7.1) and tossed a 9.0 inning complete game win over Southern Indiana allowing just one run on one hit with six strikeouts. 

A total of five EIU student-athletes were named candidates for the award with Riggs joined by Zion Fruster (basketball), Daniel Lacy (track & field), Mason Miller (football) and Chris Worcester (baseball).
 
EIU will name winners for the EIU AD Award, Male & Female, named next Monday and Tuesday to wrap up the month of June.  Earlier this week Rylan Gick from softball was named this year's EIU Female Newcomer with Mason Miller from football named the EIU Male Newcomer of the Year.  Lizzie Stiverson from softball was this year's EIU Female Athlete of the Year.