SEARCY – Harding senior third baseman David Butterfield and senior relief pitcher Ryder Yakel both received Second Team All-Central Region honors Friday from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The Central Region includes teams from the Great American Conference, MIAA and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Butterfield, a native of Smyrna, Tennessee, hit .403 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 154 at-bats. He led the team with 26 extra-base hits and reached base in the final 28 games of the season.

Yakel, a native of Lakin, Kansas, went 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA and six saves. He had 60 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 55.0 innings pitched.

The award was the second for Yakel, who was also All-Region in 2019.

Butterfield became Harding's first all-region third baseman since Jason Nappi in 2011.

Harding has had two all-region honorees three times, also in 2007 (Adam Darby and Justin Phillips) and 2011 (Jason Nappi and Chase Presley).