Miners senior Owen Cardinal earned two of the top honors in each conference, while his manager, Jason Siik, earned Coach of the Year in both leagues.

Cardinal was selected as the Player of the Year in the M-PC, then earned co-Pitcher of the Year with teammate Tristan Slater in the West PAC.

Slater was also a First Team recipient in the M-PC.

With only Negaunee and Westwood overlapping between the two leagues in the sport, there were some differences in the awards won by area players.

Pitcher Owen Cardinal works on the mound for the Negaunee baseball team during a game at downstate Watervliet on Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Derek Cardinal)

For instance, while Cardinal and Slater shared the West PAC pitching award, it was Iron Mountain junior Connor Pickett who won the pitching honor in the M-PC.

And with Cardinal taking the Player of the Year in the M-PC, it was Hancock junior Ben Keranen who snagged that honor in the West PAC.

As is the case with most of these honor squads locally, players who win the special awards aren’t eligible to be named to their league’s First Team, Second Team or Honorable Mention.

And both the M-PC and West PAC named each of those honor squads, nine players on all the First and Second team, with varying numbers filling out Honorable Mention.

With Slater leading the way, other Miners on the M-PC First Team are seniors Devin Jurmu, Aiden Steele and Morgan Robar, along with juinor Evan DellAngelo.

The M-PC Second Team includes Negaunee junior Killean Ryan and Brayden Gleason, while Honorable Mention has Miners junior Connor Munson.

In the West PAC, where the Miners were league champions, the First Team again has Negaunee’s Jurmu, Steele, Robar and DellAngelo, but also Ryan, while Honorable Mention has Munson.

From Westwood, the M-PC Second Team includes seniors Isak Ruspakka and Roman Yuhas, while Honorable Mention has senior Mason Burke.

The Patriots’ representatives in the West PAC are Ruspakka, Yuhas and Ethan Marta on the Second Team, along with Burke on Honorable Mention.

Manistique also has five players who earned M-PC honors. Sophomore Cole Watchorn made the First Team, seniors Mack Pugh and Britt Frain and freshman Brayden Lancour are on the Second Team, and sophomore Landen Papple got Honorable Mention.

Here are the balance of the league honorees, listed with year and school:

Mid-Peninsula Conference

First Team — Connor Pickett, jr., Iron Mountain; Gavin Winters, fresh., IM; Joey Wahoviak, jr., IM

Second Team — Lane Wender, jr., IM; Max White, sr., IM

Honorable Mention — Charles Anderson, jr., IM

West PAC

First Team — Connor Helminen, soph., Hancock; Todd Kilpela, sr., Hancock; Brycyn Nettell, jr., Houghton; Brogan Turner, sr., Jeffers

Second Team — Darrin Berg, sr., Calumet; Joe Halonen, soph., Calumet; Chase Keranen, soph., Hancock; Joel Durocher, sr., Houghton; Blake Heltunen, soph., Jeffers; Carson L’Esperance, fresh., Jeffers

Honorable Mention — Tyler Halonen, jr., Calumet; Nate Londo, sr., Calumet; Oskar Loukus, soph., Calumet; Andrew Junttila, Calumet; Caleb Isaacson, sr., Hancock; Gunner Flachs, soph., Houghton; Cam Anderson, sr., Jeffers; Casen Helminen, sr., Jeffers

Story contents based on emails received from Negaunee High School athletic director Jake Skewis. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.