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Grace Christian Academy (GCA) head baseball coach Ryan Riles was named Region Coach of the Year. This is his second Coach of the Year award with GCA; his first was last year after the 2022-2023 season.

“First and foremost, I give all the thanks to God,” Riles said. “It’s some motivation for me, knowing that I’m going in the right direction with this coaching thing.”

Riles led his team to a region championship despite a season bogged down by injury issues and tough matchups. The team earned a 5-1 record in GIAA region 3-1A. 

Riles said he had a handful of players playing multiple, sometimes unfamiliar, positions during the season to fill in gaps left by injury. 

Most notably, the Cougars were without star pitchers Aiden Whittaker and Noah Smith on the mound. Despite that, Riles was able to work with his squad to produce a solid pitching season.