Horizon League Announces Baseball All-League Teams, Specialty Awardwinners

May 24, 2005

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The Horizon League announced its baseball specialty awardwinners and All-League teams Tuesday evening (May 24) at its annual pre-tournament banquet, which was held in the Student Union on the Butler University campus.


Earning top honors in voting by the League's six head coaches were Butler's Dale Mueller as Player of the Year, Youngstown State University's Justin Thomas as Pitcher of the Year, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pitcher Aaron Sorensen as Newcomer of the Year and University of Illinois at Chicago head coach Mike Dee as Coach of the Year.


Mueller, a senior outfielder, ranks second in the League with a .371 batting average while adding three home runs and 24 runs-batted-in with 12 stolen bases in 42 games played. A native of LaCrosse, Wis., he is just the second Horizon League Player of the Year in Butler history, joining Justin Beasley, who earned the award in 1996 and '98. Mueller also garnered first-team All-League honors for the third straight season.





Thomas, a junior lefthander, has posted a 7-5 record this season with a 3.42 earned-run average, 83 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings pitched, and four complete games. In conference games only, he was 3-1 with a League-best 2.00 ERA and three complete games. A native of Oregon, Ohio, he is the first Horizon League specialty awardwinner from Youngstown State since the Penguins joined the conference for the 2002 season.


Sorensen, a junior righthander, is 8-3 with a 5.29 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched in his first season at UW-Milwaukee after transferring from Lawrence (Wis.) College. A native of Sheboygan, Wis., he was 4-1 in League games only. Sorensen is the fifth Newcomer of the Year from UW-Milwaukee but the first since co-winner John Vandenberg in 2001.


Dee earned his fifth Coach-of-the-Year honor -- including Co-Coach of the Year -- in his seven seasons at UIC after leading the Flames to a 35-18-1 record and a fourth straight regular-season title with a 14-6 League mark. His five awards are the most in Horizon League history, breaking a tie with current Butler head coach Steve Farley. Dee currently owns a career record of 231-157-1 at UIC.


In addition, Wright State University senior catcher Bryan Vickers received All-League accolades for the fourth time, including his third straight first-team honor. A native of Perrysburg, Ohio, he was the first-team catcher last season after being the first-team designated hitter in 2003 and the second-team DH in 2002. Vickers and Mueller are the sixth and seventh players in League history to earn first-team All-League honors three times.


The 2005 Horizon League Baseball Championship will be held Wednesday through Saturday, May 25-28, in downtown Indianapolis at Victory Field (501 W. Maryland St.), the home of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. First pitch each day is 11 a.m. Indianapolis local time. Single-day tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and youth. All-tournament passes are $20 and $12, respectively. For additional ticket information, contact the Butler athletic ticket office at (317) 940-9390.


A complete list of the 2005 Horizon League baseball awardwinners follows.

2005 Horizon League Baseball Awardwinners

Player of the Year
Dale Mueller, Sr., OF, Butler, LaCrosse, Wis. (.371, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 12 SB)
Only second Butler Player of the Year in Horizon League history (Justin Beasley, 1996 & '98)

Pitcher of the Year
Justin Thomas, Jr., LHP, Youngstown State, Oregon, Ohio (7-5, 3.42 ERA, 4 CG, 83 K)
First Horizon League regular-season specialty awardwinner from YSU since Penguins joined for the 2002 season

Newcomer of the Year
Aaron Sorenson, Jr., RHP, UW-Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wis. (8-3, 5.29 ERA, 71 K)
First Horizon League Newcomer of the Year from UWM since four straight Panthers from 1998-2001

Coach of the Year
Mike Dee, UIC (35-18-1, 14-6 Horizon League regular-season champions)
Fifth such honor for Dee (including Co-Coach of the Year) in his seven seasons at UIC

All-League First Team
C-Bryan Vickers, Sr., Wright State, Perrysburg, Ohio#
1B-Mark Hallberg, Fr., UIC, Barron, Wis.
2B-Charlie Reschke, Sr., UW-Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wis.&

3B-Justin Banks, Jr., Youngstown State, Steubenville, Ohio
SS-Travis Migliorini, Jr., Wright State, Glendale, Ariz.
OF-Dale Mueller, Sr., Butler, LaCrosse, Wis.^

OF-Larry Gempp Jr., So., UIC, Ingleside, Ill.
OF-Joe Nowicki, Jr., UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis.
DH-Zak Rivera, Jr., UW-Milwaukee, Bartlett, Ill.
UT-Brandon Caipen, Jr., C/OF, Youngstown State, Tallmadge, Ohio
P-Justin Thomas, Jr., LHP, Youngstown State, Oregon, Ohio%
P-Zach Peterson, So., RHP, UIC, Minnetonka, Minn.

All-League Second Team
C-Bryan Nolte, Jr., UIC, Higginsville, Mo.
1B-Dominic Erney, Sr., Cleveland State, Parma Heights, Ohio@
2B-Joe Pauley, Fr., Butler, Skokie, Ill.
3B-Brian Shoup, So., Wright State, Tipp City, Ohio+
SS-Grant Berkovitz, Fr., UW-Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wis.
OF-Jim Phillips, Sr., Youngstown State, Oregon, Ohio
OF-Shane Crowder, Sr., UIC, Sisters, Ore.
OF-Bart Babineaux, Jr., UIC, New Iberia, La.
DH-Ted Rosinski, Jr., UIC, Wilmette, Ill.
UT-Gary Ball, Jr., P/DH, Cleveland State, Mansfield, Pa.
P-Aaron Sorenson, Jr., RHP, UW-Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wis.
P-Ryan Zink, So., RHP, UIC, Madison, Wis.!

All-Newcomer Team
Pos-Larry Gempp Jr., So., OF, UIC, Ingleside, Ill.
Pos-Mark Hallberg, Fr., 1B, UIC, Barron, Wis.

Pos-Alex Rinearson, Fr., 1B, Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Pos-Mike Goetz, Jr., OF, UW-Milwaukee, Franklin, Wis.
Pos-Amin Abusaleh, Jr., OF, Wright State, West Hills, Calif.
Pos-Erich Diedrich, Fr., C, Youngstown State, Bay Village, Ohio
Pos-Bart Babineaux, Jr., OF, UIC, New Iberia, La.
Pos-Bobby Cash, Fr., 2B, Cleveland State, Hudson, Ohio
UT-Brendan Rubenstein, Jr., 2B/DH, Wright State, Rochester, N.Y.
P-Aaron Sorenson, Jr., RHP, UW-Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wis.
P-Scott Saling, Jr., RHP, UIC, Springfield, Ill.

# Vickers was a first-team C in 2004, first-team DH in 2003 and second-team DH in 2002
& Reschke was a second-team 2B in 2003
^ Mueller was a first-team OF in 2004 and 2003
% Thomas was a second-team P in 2004
@ Erney was a second-team 1B in 2003
+ Shoup was a second-team DH in 2004
! Zink was a second-team P in 2004