Austin Peay State University Athletics

Awards & Honors

Second Team All-ASUN: 2025
ASUN All-Tournament Team: 2025
2025 ASUN Pitcher of the Week: April 28
CSC Academic All-District
ASUN Honor Roll: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
APSU Athletics Director’s Honor Roll: F24, S25

2025 | Austin Peay

• Appeared 15 times on the mound for the Govs, starting six games.
• Finished the season with an ASUN-leading 10-0 win-loss record, a 4.24 ERA, and 62 strikeouts over 70 innings of work.
• His 35 runs allowed were the ninth-fewest given up in the ASUN, and his 17 walks were tied for the fourth-fewest in the league.
• Made his Governor debut against Grand Canyon (Feb. 16) at the MLB Desert Invitational, where he threw five innings in relief, struck out five batters, and picked up the win.
• Made his first start of the season at Eastern Kentucky (April 17), where he picked up his sixth win after striking out three batters over five innings.
• Struck out a season high 10 batters against North Alabama (April 25), holding the Lions scoreless through seven innings for his first career complete game shutout.
• He had his longest outing of the season against Bellarmine (May 2), where he went 7.2 innings in the start, striking out six batters and allowing just three runs to score, picking up the win.
• Notched his 10th win against Jacksonville (May 22) in the ASUN Championship, where he threw seven innings and struck out three batters, holding Jacksonville to just one run.
• He is the first Gov to reach 10 wins in a season since 2016 (Alex Robles).

2024 | Bellarmine

• Medical redshirted his senior year as a Knight at Bellarmine.

2023 | Bellarmine

• Threw 47.1 innings in 12 appearances, starting 11.
• Ranked third on the team in strikeouts with 51 retired.
• Struck out five batters or more in four starts and tossed at least 5.2 innings in three outings.
• Struck out six and allowed only two earned runs in a season-high 6.1 innings against Indiana (March 12).
• Piled up a season-high 12 strikeouts in 6.0 innings while securing the win against Stetson (April 8).

2022 | Bellarmine

• Made 15 appearances with 13 starts on the mound and tied for the team lead in wins with three. 
• Threw 79.2 innings and collected 61 strikeouts while finishing the season with a 5.99 ERA.
• Logged 6.0 innings or more in six of his 10 ASUN starts.
• At the end of the regular season, ranked third in ASUN in innings pitched.
• Fanned seven while allowing only one run in 5.0 innings pitched in season debut at New Jersey Institute of Technology (February 18).
• Did not allow an earned run in 6.1 innings pitched against Presbyterian (March 5).
• Fired a complete game against Eastern Kentucky (March 26), yielding two earned runs with six strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched.
• Allowed two earned runs in 6.0 innings pitched while earning the win against North Alabama (April 9).
• Struck out a season-high nine while giving up a single run in 7.0 innings pitched to pocket a win against Jacksonville State (April 15).
• Tossed a perfect inning of relief against No. 1 Tennessee (April 19).
• Went 7.0 innings in back-to-back starts against Eastern Kentucky (May 1) and Lipscomb (May 8).

2021 | Bellarmine

• As a freshman, he made 11 appearances on the mound with one start and struck out 11 batters in 15.2 innings pitched.
• His 10 relief appearances ranked fifth on the team.
• Collected at least one strikeout in six outings, with two or more in four of them.
• Made his collegiate debut against Eastern Michigan (March 5) and struck out one in a scoreless inning.
• Fanned two in 1.2 scoreless innings against Lipscomb (April 3).
• Recorded two strikeouts to finish the final inning against Southern Illinois (April 10).

Prep Career 

• Prepped at St. Anthony High School in Illinois as a two-way under head coach Tony Kreke.
• Was a three-time conference champion and one-time regional champion.
• Was a co-captain, team MVP, and an All-Conference selection.
• Also, a standout swimmer, qualifying for state and nationals, and was a part of three conference championships as well as two small team state championships.

Personal

• Gavin Dean Braunecker is the son of Matt and Elizabeth Braunecker.
• Has four siblings: Brody, Cole, Avery, and Aidan Braunecker.
• His brother Cole played baseball at Danville Community College and Arkansas Baptist.
• His uncle Darek played professional baseball for the Montreal Expos in 1991.
• His father, Matt, played baseball for Vincennes College and Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, between 1989 and 1993.
• His sister Avery is a swimmer for the University of Louisville.