ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State Ranger Baseball pitcher Will Kates was announced Friday afternoon to the NCBWA All-Central Region Second Team as a starting pitcher. The NCBWA is the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, which made the selection for the teams. 

Kates led the Rangers' pitching staff to help lead the Rangers to the second consecutive 30-win season. Kates finished the season with a 2.42 ERA, which is the lowest for a Northwestern starting qualified pitcher in the Division II era. He ranked second in ERA for the Great American Conference. 

He finished the season with six wins on the season, tied for ninth in the conference, while leading the GAC in opposing batting average at .212. He earned First Team All-Conference for starting pitching.

Kates is the seventh player to earn All-Central Region for the Rangers. He is one of 10 Great American Conference players on the list and one of three starting pitchers.

2025 NCBWA All-Central Region

 Player of the Year | Caden Robertson, Central Oklahoma
Pitcher of the Year | Maddox Long, Harding
Coach of the Year | Matt Magers, Minnesota State 

 First Team
C – Chaz Poppy, Arkansas-Monticello
1B – Dagen Brewer, Pittsburg State
2B – Jack Hines, Augustana
3B – Jacob Steele, Central Missouri
SS – Jett Buck, Washburn
OF – Wesley Mitchell, Southeastern Oklahoma

OF – Isaac Pegors, UMary
OF – Caden Robertson, Central Oklahoma
OF – Vance Tobol, Central Missouri
DH – Louis Magers, Minnesota State
UT – Chase Keeton, Southeastern Oklahoma
SP – Nathan Culley, Minnesota State

SP – Kolby Dougan, Pittsburg State

SP – Maddox Long, Harding
SP – Dax Sharp, Central Oklahoma
RP – Payton Byrd, Henderson State
RP – JD McReynolds, Central Oklahoma

Second Team
C – Jeremy Schork, Henderson State
1B – Ike Mezzenga, Minnesota State
2B – Jackson Mervosh, Washburn
3B – Logan Lacey, Harding
SS – Cole Dawson, Arkansas Tech
OF – Alex Rodgers, Pittsburg State

OF – Zach Stroh, Minnesota State
OF – Trevor Winterstein, Augustana

OF – Kirk Woolf, Arkansas-Monticello
DH – Dayvian Johnson, Central Missouri
UT – Josh Dykhoff, Minnesota-Crookston

SP – Jeremy Adorno, Southern Arkansas

SP – Colton Anderson, Rogers State

SP – Will Kates, Northwestern Oklahoma
SP – Ty Riley, Fort Hays State
SP – Maddox Thornton, Pittsburg State
RP – Austin Adair, Southern Arkansas
RP – Braden Cannon, Wayne State