Horizon League announces baseball All-League teams and specialty award winners
May 19, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS --- Junior first baseman Jeremy Hamilton of Wright State University earned Player-of-the-Year honors and sophomore righthander Aaron Swenson of Youngstown State University was named Pitcher of the Year as the Horizon League announced its baseball All-League teams and specialty award winners Monday (May 19).
Regular-season champion University of Illinois at Chicago picked up three other specialty awards as junior righthander Derrick Miramontes was tabbed Newcomer of the Year and junior righthander Adam Worthington garnered Relief Pitcher-of-the-Year accolades. UIC head coach Mike Dee and Youngstown State dugout boss Rich Pasquale shared Coach-of-the-Year honors.
All honors are the result of voting by the Horizon League's seven head coaches and come one day prior to the start of the League Championship, which begins Tuesday at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.
Hamilton is the second straight Wright State student-athlete to be named Player of the Year, joining last year's winner Ross Oeder. Hamilton led the Raiders to a second-place finish in the regular season and ranks second in the League with a .413 batting average. He tops the conference in slugging percentage (.738), on-base percentage (.516), runs (57), total bases (127) and walks (36). Hamilton also has nine home runs and 49 runs-batted-in
Swenson is the first Youngstown State player to be selected Pitcher of the Year since Justin Thomas in 2005. Swenson owns a 6-3 overall record with a 3.70 earned-run average and leads the League with 92.1 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts. In League games, he was 6-1 with five complete games and a 3.39 ERA.
Miramontes is the sixth Newcomer of the Year from UIC in the last eight seasons. He is 6-3 with three complete games and ranks second in the League with a 3.38 ERA and 85.1 innings pitched.
Worthington made it back-to-back Relief Pitcher-of-the-Year winners for UIC, following David Cales last season. Worthington has recorded five saves in 27 appearances overall this spring and had four saves and a 3.00 ERA in 11 League games.
Dee earned Coach-of-the-Year honors for the fourth straight season and eighth time in the last ten years, extending his own Horizon League record. He guided the Flames to their seventh consecutive regular-season title and ninth straight 30-win season (31-19). No other coach in League history has received the award more than four times.
Pasquale shared the Coach-of-the-Year honor in his first season at Youngstown State and becomes the first YSU mentor to garner the award. He led the Penguins to a four-win improvement in League play (13-12) and a third-place finish in the League standings after YSU was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
Wright State placed a League-high five players on the All-League First Team, with sophomore catcher Gerald Ogrnic, junior shortstop Justin Parker, junior designated hitter Jeff Mercer and junior lefthander Jon Durket joining Hamilton, who also earned first-team honors a year ago. Parker also was a first-team selection last season as a designated hitter, while Ogrnic was a second-team pick.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee had three first-team selections in senior second baseman Jesse Hart, junior outfielder Nick Wichser and junior utility player Andy Gerhartz. Hart was a first-team selection for the second consecutive season.
Senior third baseman Alex Kerins and junior outfielder Brad Buell represented Cleveland State University on the All-League First Team, becoming the first Vikings on the unit since Jerry Long in 2002 and just the ninth and tenth since CSU joined the Horizon League for the 1995 baseball season.
Swenson and senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero of League newcomer Valparaiso University rounded out the All-League First Team.
Miramontes and Worthington headline the All-League Second Team and are joined by freshman teammate and outfielder Steve McGuiggan. Other outfielders on the squad are Cleveland State senior Kyle Bischof, Youngstown State freshman Joe Iacobucci and Butler University junior Colin Ziegel. The infield unit includes Milwaukee junior first baseman Shawn Wozniak, Valparaiso senior second baseman John Giusti, Butler senior shortstop Joe Pauley and Youngstown State senior third baseman Sean Lucas. Pauley earned his third All-League honor, having been named to the second team in 2005 and the first team in 2006.
Rounding on the second team are Milwaukee sophomore catcher Shaun Wegner and junior designated hitter Ben Long, and sophomore utility players R.J. Gundolff of Wright State and Eric Marzec of Youngstown State. There were four outfielders and two utility players on the squad due to ties in the voting.
The All-Newcomer Team includes four players from Cleveland State (Buell, Bischoff, Kerins and Adam Heideman), and three apiece from UIC (McGuiggan, Miramontes and Rafael Garcia) and Milwaukee (Gerhartz, Doug Dekoning and Brad Lusti), plus Iacobucci, Mercer and Steve Godawa of Valparaiso.
The 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by U.S. Army is scheduled for Tuesday through Sunday, May 20-25, at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio. Single-day tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and youth, while all-tournament passes are $20 and $14, respectively. Students from all Horizon League institutions are free with a valid student identification card. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game each day.
For additional Horizon League baseball information, including the championship bracket, directions to Eastwood Field, GameTracker live statistics and game recaps, check out the official web site at www.horizonleague.org.
For free, live video web casts of all games of the Horizon League Baseball Championship, log onto the Horizon League Network at www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv.
A complete list of the 2008 Horizon League baseball All-League teams and specialty award winners follows.
First-Team All-League
CGerald Ogrinc%Wright StateSo.Twinsburg, Ohio1BJeremy Hamilton^Wright StateJr.Cincinnati, Ohio2BJesse Hart^MilwaukeeSr.West Allis, Wis.SSJustin Parker^Wright StateJr.Fort Wayne, Ind.3BAlex KerinsCleveland StateSr.Louisville, Ky.OFBrad BuellCleveland StateJr.Martin, Mich.OFZach RodegheroValparaisoSr.New Lenox, Ill.OFNick WichserMilwaukeeJr.Waukesha, Wis.DHJeff MercerWright StateJr.Bargersville, Ind.UTAndy GerhartzMilwaukeeJr.Wauwatosa, Wis.PJon DurketWright StateJr.El Dorado Hills, Calif.PAaron SwensonYoungstown StateSo.Twinsburg, Ohio^ First-Team All-League in 2007 (Parker as DH)% Second-Team All-League in 2007
Second-Team All-League
CShaun WegnerMilwaukeeSo.Watertown, Wis.1BShawn WozniakMilwaukeeJr.Mayville, Wis.2BJohn GiustiValparaisoSr.Conventry, R.I.SSJoe Pauley*#ButlerSr.Skokie, Ill.3BSean LucasYoungstown StateSr.Warren, OhioOFKyle BischofCleveland StateSr.Louisville, Ky.OFJoe IacobucciYoungstown StateFr.Boardman, OhioOFSteve McGuigganUICFr.Apple Valley, Minn.OFColin ZiegelButlerJr.Fort Wayne, Ind.DHBen LongMilwaukeeJr.Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.UT R.J. GundolffWright StateSo.El Dorado Hills, Calif.UTEric MarzecYoungstown StateSo.Canton, OhioPDerrick MiramontesUICJr.Durham, Calif.PAdam WorthingtonUICJr.Gurnee, Ill.* Second-Team All-League in 2005# First-Team All-League in 2006Note: Includes four outfielders and two utility players due to ties in the voting.
All-Newcomer Team
Position Players (8)Brad BuellCleveland StateJr.Martin, Mich.Kyle BischofCleveland StateSr.Louisville, Ky.Doug DekoningMilwaukeeFr.Menomonee Falls, Wis.Rafael GarciaUICFr.Chicago, Ill.Adam HeidemanCleveland StateFr.Stow, OhioJoe IacobucciYoungstown StateFr.Boardman, OhioAlex KerinsCleveland StateSr.Louisville, Ky.Steve McGuigganUICFr.Apple Valley, Minn.UT Andy GerhartzMilwaukeeJr.Wauwatosa, Wis.DH Jeff MercerWright StateJr.Bargersville, Ind.P Steve GodawaValparaisoFr.Buffalo Grove, Ill.P Brad LustiMilwaukeeJr.Menahga, Minn.P Derrick MiramontesUICJr.Durham, Calif.Note: Includes three pitchers due to a tie in the voting.
PLAYER OF THE YEARJeremy HamiltonWright StateJr. * 1B * Cincinnati, Ohio-- Ranks second in the League with a .413 batting average-- Leads the League in slugging percentage (.738), on-base percentage (.516), runs (57), total bases (127) and walks (36)-- Also has nine home runs and 49 runs-batted-in
PITCHER OF THE YEARAaron SwensonYoungstown StateSo. * RHP * Twinsburg,a Ohio-- Has a 6-3 record with a 3.70 earned-run average-- Leads the League with 92.1 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts-- In League games, was 6-1 with five complete games and a 3.39 ERA
NEWCOMER OF THE YEARDerrick MiramontesUICJr. * RHP * Durham, Calif.-- Is 6-3 with three complete games-- Ranks second in the League with a 3.38 ERA and 85.1 innings pitched
RELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEARAdam WorthingtonUICJr. * RHP * Gurnee, Ill.-- Has recorded five saves in 27 appearances overall-- Had four saves and a 3.00 ERA in 11 League games
CO-COACH OF THE YEARMike DeeUICTenth season-- Extended his own League record to eight Coach-of-the-Year honors, including the last four in a row-- Guided Flames to their seventh consecutive regular-season title and ninth straight 30-win season
CO-COACH OF THE YEARRich PasqualeYoungstown StateFirst season-- Shared honor in first season as head coach at Youngstown State-- Led the Penguins to a four-win improvement in League play over 2007 and a third-place finish
