NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Warhawks Lead Baseball All-Conference Selections

Madison, Wis.--Seven players from Whitewater’s 2001 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship squad were named to the 21-player WIAC All-Conference Baseball Team, which was recently selected by the conference coaches.

WIAC Pitcher of the Year Brady Endl leads the selections for Whitewater. Endl, a freshman, is 8-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 61.2 innings. He is the second Warhawk to win the conference’s Pitcher of the Year honor, joining Ryan Brookman (1998). Additionally, he is the first freshman to win the award in its’ five-year history. His eight wins is one shy of the school season record.

Stout’s Brad O’Connell was named the WIAC Position Player of the Year. O’Connell, a senior second baseman, established a conference record with a .524 batting average. This mark leads all of NCAA Division III this season. O’Connell also leads the WIAC in slugging percentage (.984), on base percentage (.607), home runs (12) and triples (4). He set school career records for batting average (.422), slugging percentage (.810) and triples (9) and is tied for the lead in home runs (30). O’Connell put together a 37-game hitting streak that began on April 29, 2000 and ended on May 5, 2001. The hitting streak established a new conference mark and is the third longest in NCAA Division III history. He earned First Team All-WIAC and First Team All-Region honors last season.

Ryan Zelhofer, Joe Shere and J.J. Mohns were among the top vote-getters from Whitewater. Zelhofer, a senior shortstop, leads the WIAC in hits (67), runs scored (55) and stolen bases (26), ranks second in batting average (.456) and fourth in doubles (13). His runs scored and hit totals for the season have established school season records. He also holds the school career record for triples (12). He was named First Team All-WIAC and Second Team All-Region last season.

Shere, a junior third baseman, leads the WIAC in RBIs (50), ranks second in doubles (15) and third in batting average (.426). His 15 doubles are the second highest in school history. He earned Honorable Mention All-WIAC and Third Team All-Region honors last season. Mohns, a senior first baseman, leads the WIAC in doubles (16), ranks second in RBIs (45) and third in runs scored (45).

Sam Molski and Jon Jagler helped Stevens Point claim the WIAC Tournament title and automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Molski, a senior outfielder, leads the WIAC in home runs (12), ranks second slugging percentage (.736) and fifth in RBIs (38). His 12 home runs have established a school season record. He was named Honorable Mention All-WIAC the past two seasons. Jagler, a junior first baseman, ranks third in the WIAC in hits (64) and RBIs (43) and eighth in batting average (.408). He was named Honorable Mention All-WIAC last season.

Oshkosh’s Ben Beno, a junior outfielder, makes his first appearance on the All-WIAC First Team. He ranks seventh in the WIAC in batting average (.411) and on base percentage (.479). Beno is joined on the First Team by his teammate, junior pitcher Adam Green. Green ranks fourth in the WIAC in ERA (2.70) and strikeouts (53). Opponents hit .253 against him in 60.0 innings.

River Falls landed a pair of sophomores on the First Team. Scott DeWyre, an outfielder, ranks ninth in the WIAC in batting average (.398) and RBIs (33). He was a First Team All-WIAC selection last season. Dan Morgan, a pitcher, ranks second in the WIAC in strikeouts (54) and fifth in innings pitched (61.1). He finished the season with a 4-3 record and 3.82 ERA.

La Crosse junior shortstop Vinnie Rottino ranks third in the WIAC in doubles (14), seventh in slugging percentage (.662) and ninth in RBIs (33). He was an Honorable Mention All-WIAC selection in 1999. Senior outfielder James DeCremer joins Rottino on the First Team. He ranks tenth in the WIAC in batting average (.392). DeCremer is a two-time First Team All-WIAC selection and was named Second Team All-Region last season. He also garnered the conference’s baseball scholar-athlete award this year.

Whitewater head coach Jim Miller was selected the 2001 Coach of the Year by his conference peers for the second consecutive season. Miller, in his 15^th season at the helm of the Warhawks, has guided the club to two consecutive WIAC crowns and has a 351-204-4 career record.

Following is a complete list of the 2001 WIAC All-Conference Baseball Team.

2001 WIAC All-Conference Baseball Team

First Team

Name, School, Position, Year, Hometown (High School)

Ben Beno, Oshkosh, Outfield, Jr., Green Bay (Preble)

Ryan Callahan, Whitewater, Pitcher, So., Janesville (Parker)

James DeCremer, La Crosse, Outfield, Sr., La Crosse (Central)

Scott DeWyre, River Falls, Outfield, So., Glenwood City

Brady Endl, Whitewater, Pitcher, Fr., Jefferson

Adam Green, Oshkosh, Pitcher, Jr., Appleton (East)

Jon Jagler, Stevens Point, Firstbase, Jr., Wausau (West)

Bruce Karnitz, Oshkosh, Pitcher, Fr., Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)

Matt Kloss, La Crosse, Outfield, Jr., La Crosse (Central)

Vince Mancuso, Oshkosh, Outfield/Thirdbase, Jr., Wisconsin Rapids

Gus Maves, Whitewater, Secondbase, Sr., Appleton (North)

J.J. Mohns, Whitewater, Firstbase, Sr., Oconomowoc

Sam Molski, Stevens Point, Outfield, Sr., Stevens Point (SPASH)

Dan Morgan, River Falls, Pitcher, So., Ladysmith

Brad O’Connell, Stout, Secondbase, Sr., Elk Mound

Brent Opsahl, Superior, Secondbase, Sr., Dassel, Minn.

Vinnie Rottino, La Crosse, Shortstop, Jr., Racine (St. Catherine’s)

Dave Rueber, Stout, Thirdbase, Sr., Afton, Minn. (Harding)

Joe Shere, Whitewater, Thirdbase, Jr., Janesville (Craig)

Travis Van Zile, Whitewater, Outfield, So., Reedsburg

Ryan Zelhofer, Whitewater, Shortstop, Sr., Edgerton

Honorable Mention

Casey Bablitch, La Crosse, Secondbase, So., La Crosse (Central)

Eric Bennett, Stevens Point, Catcher, Sr., Madison (Memorial)

Adam Benson, River Falls, Thirdbase, Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.

D.J. Cartledge, Whitewater, Outfield/Thirdbase, So., Greenfield

Eric Check, La Crosse, Catcher, Jr., La Crosse (Logan)

Travis Elvert, La Crosse, Pitcher, So., Prairie du Chien

Josh Hearn, Whitewater, Firstbase/Des. Hitter, Jr., Sturtevant (Racine Case)

Brian Herzog, Oshkosh, Pitcher, Jr., Manitowoc

Chester Janke, La Crosse, Firstbase/Des. Hitter, Fr., Black River Falls

Tim Johnson, River Falls, Secondbase, Sr., Eau Claire (Memorial)

Wes Larsen, Platteville, Outfield, Sr., Arena (River Valley)

Lucas Lechnir, Oshkosh, Secondbase, Fr., Mosinee

Eric Lund, Stout, Outfield, Sr., Ashland

Matt Lunde, Stout, Pitcher, Jr., Eau Claire (North)

Pat McCann, Stevens Point, Shortstop, Sr., Antigo

Brock Meyer, Stout, Shortstop, So., Lyle, Minn.

Paul Molitor, Stevens Point, Thirdbase, Jr., Reedsburg

Jeff Pieper, Stevens Point, Pitcher, So., Wausau (West)

Randy Reed, Stevens Point, Outfield, Jr., Appleton (East)

Quinn Schultz, Platteville, Secondbase, Sr., Muscoda (Riverdale)

Clyde Tedrick, Stout, Pitcher, Sr., Midland, Tex.

Bill Verbrick, Stevens Point, Pitcher, Jr., Appleton (Xavier)

Position Player of the Year: Brad O'Connell of UW-Stout

Pitcher of the Year: Brady Endl of UW-Whitewater

Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: James DeCremer of UW-La Crosse

Coach of the Year: Jim Miller of UW-Whitewater

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