May 18, 2015-Emporia State third baseman Dean Long was named the ABCA/Rawlings Central Region Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association this year. Center fielder Justin Harris was also named to the first-team.

Long was named the MIAA Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team All-MIAA pick after leading the league in home runs and RBI. He was also a first-team Daktronics All-Region selection. A semi finalist for the Tino Martinez Award, he gave the Hornets the win in the first MIAA Championship game against Missouri Southern with a three-run walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. It was his 23rd honer and tied the MIAA single season record for home runs. He is ranked third in the nation in RBI, seventh in home runs, ninth in getting hit by pitch and total bases, 11th in slugging percentage, 14th in runs, and 36th in doubles. He hit .364 with 23 home runs, 81 RBI, 19 doubles, 64 runs and 12 stolen bases. His 23 home runs this year and 35 home runs over the last two years are both second on the Hornets single season and career list. His 81 RBI this season rank ninth on the Emporia State single season list and his 145 career RBI rank eighth for the Hornets. He is one of 25 semifinalists for the Tino Martinez Award as the top player in NCAA Division II.

Harris was a unanimous First-Team All-MIAA pick in the outfield, was named Daktronics First-Team All-Region and is a nominee for the Ken B. Jones Award as the top student-athlete in the MIAA. He is ranked third in the nation in doubles and hits, eighth in runs, 14th in stolen bases, 17th in total bases, 23rd in triples and 25th in batting average and leads the MIAA in all of those categories except total bases and triples where he is ranked second. He is batting .415 with four home runs, 39 RBI, 25 doubles, five triples, 69 runs and 27 stolen bases. His 25 doubles rank fourth, and his 93 hits are seventh on the Emporia State single season list while his 44 stolen bases last year ranks fourth. He is ranked sixth on the Emporia State career list with 170 hits, and is eighth on the career list for the Hornets with 36 doubles and nine triples. He had a 29 game hitting streak, the longest by a Hornet since Dillon Hazlett had a 32 game streak in 2011, snapped in the third game against Pittsburg State. He is one of the top ten seniors in Division II according to Baseball the Magazine and one of 25 semifinalists for the Tino Martinez Award as the top player in NCAA Division II.

Emporia State ended the season 39-16, falling to eventual regional champion Henderson State in the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets have gone 81-35 over the last two years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the tenth time in the last 12 years this season.

NCAA Div. II Central - ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Teams
First Team
Pos.     Player     Cl.     School
1B     Alex Wojciechowski     Jr.    Minnesota-Duluth
2B     Jimmy Heck     Jr.    Minnesota-Duluth
3B     Dean Long     Sr.    Emporia State
SS     Kyle Lieser     Jr.    St. Cloud State
INF     Patrick Castleberry     Sr.    Arkansas Tech
C     Michael Jurgella     Sr.    St. Cloud State
OF     Justin Harris     Sr.    Emporia State
OF     Eric Loxtercamp     Sr.    St. Cloud State
OF     Wade Roethermich     Sr.    Lindenwood
OF     Grant Farley     So.    Minnesota-Duluth
DH     Jesse Rall     Jr.    Missouri Southern
P     Reese Gregory     Jr.    St. Cloud State
P     Sheldon Miks     Fr.     St. Cloud State
P     Connor Eller     Jr.    Ouachita Baptist
P     Cody Hutchinson     Jr.    Missouri Southern
RP     Nick Vanthillo     Jr.    Henderson State
 
Second Team
Pos.     Player     Cl.     School     
1B     Austin Stubbs     Sr.    Southwest Minnesota
2B     Jared Young     Fr.     Minot State     
3B     Zak Hoffman     Jr.    St. Cloud State     
SS     Eric Fasnacht     Jr.    Concordia St. Paul     
INF     Charles Sims     Jr.    Northeastern State     
C     Nolan Johnson     Sr.    Minnesota State     
OF     Patrick O'Donnell     So.     Augustana     
OF     Kevin Kramer     Sr.    Minnesota State     
OF     Drew Quinones     Fr.     Lindenwood     
OF     Dylan Helms     Jr.    Southeastern Okla.
DH     Max Waletich     Sr.    Minnesota State     
P     Dalton Roach     Fr.     Minnesota State     
P     Garrett Harrison     Jr.    St. Cloud State     
P     Landon Simpson     Jr.    Southern Arkansas     
P     Payton Walker     Jr.    Missouri Southern     
RP     Mitch Voter     Jr.    Winona State     
Central Region Position Player of the Year:
    Dean Long, Emporia State
Central Region Pitcher of the Year:
    Reese Gregory, St. Cloud State