The North Alabama Lions baseball team has received a couple of very special honors at the fourth Annual Rocket City Awards on Monday night in Huntsville.
Senior left fielder Nash Rippen was named the College Athlete of the Year and head coach Jad Prachniak was named College Coach of the Year after an impressive season for the team.
Prachniak — who has led the Lions since 2023 — helped North Alabama see its best Division I season with an 31-28 record and an appearance in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Game. This was the first 30-win season in program history since coming up to Division I and under his leadership, the win total has increased each year from the previous.
“It was good (getting that recognition)” said Prachniak. “It was good to get that from a team and a program perspective. It was great to go up there and get some acknowledgment for the program. From the players to the assistant coaches, administration and support staff, it is great that team got recognized. There has been a lot of growth throughout the program, I don’t think there have been many schools in the country that have improved in conference play and overall record, but our group has done that. It speaks to where we were, and I felt like our guys have dug in and taken a step each year.”
Rippen meanwhile had a very impressive year on the field and broke the all-time North Alabama record for walks in a season with 53, as well as being named to the All-ASUN First Team and the ASUN All-Tournament Team. Him and teammate Dylan Coleman became the first Lions to earn first team all-conference honors during the Division I era.
“It was really cool,” said Rippen. “I didn’t think I would for sure win, but I am extremely proud and happy for this award. This season was the most fun I had ever had on the field, an absolute blast the entire time. Coming out of junior college, the goal was to come here and win, and these guys took a chance on me. I wanted to come in and help grow the program, and I feel like we did a pretty good job of that this year.”
Hosted by ESPN 97.7 The Zone and WHNT News 19, the Rocket City Awards highlights local athletes, coaches and programs from the North Alabama region.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
