BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Junior second baseman
Brett Moore has been chosen as the “Most Valuable Player” for the 2009 Illinois Wesleyan baseball team.
Moore (Bloomington, Ill., HS), who also earned the team’s “Best Defensive Player” honor, was second on the team with a .383 batting average and had 11 doubles, two home runs and a team-leading three triples. His team-best 64 hits is the seventh best in an Illinois Wesleyan single season.
Moore committed only four errors in 194 chances for a .979 fielding percentage.
Freshman pitcher
Joe Sweeney (Chicago, Ill., Fenwick HS) earned the “Top Newcomer” award while junior outfielder
Mike Morrissey (Grayslake, Ill., Mundelein Carmel HS) was tabbed as “Most Improved Player.”
Sweeney was 2-1 with a 4.44 earned run average. He struck out 13 and walked eight in 24 1/3 innings of work in 12 appearances.
Morrissey led the Titans with a .394 batting mark, the 18th best in an IWU single season. He had seven doubles, two home runs and drove home 23 runs. He also provided nine sacrifce bunts, third most in a Titan season.
No “Most Valuable Pitcher” or “Titan Award” winners were selected in 2009.
The Titans finished with a 24-16 overall mark and were 14-7 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Head coach Dennis Martel, whose 22-year record is 564-347-3, awarded letters to 22 players. They are, with hometowns and high schools:
SENIORS – Matt Aronson, LaGrange, Ill. (St. Ignatius HS); Kurt Dehning, Huntley, Ill. (HS); Joe Froelich, River Forest, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest HS); Kevin Goshorn, New Lenox, Ill. (Lincoln Way Central); Bob Huppert, Gibson City, Ill. (GCMS HS); Tim Marzec, Evergreen Park, Ill. (St. Rita HS)
JUNIORS – Paul Kabbes, Normal, Ill. (Bloomington Central Catholic HS); Pat Kirchhofer, Wheaton, Ill. (North HS); Kraig Ladd, Shelbyville, Ill. (HS); Casey McIntosh, Columbia, Mo. (Hickman HS); Brett Moore, Bloomington, Ill. (HS); Mike Morrissey, Grayslake, Ill. (Mundelein Carmel HS); Geoff Page, Bourbonnais, Ill. (Bradley-Bourbonnais); Marty Roche, Alsip, Ill. (Brother Rice HS); Alex Tosi, Peoria, Ill. (Dunlap HS)
SOPHOMORES – Charlie Capozzoli, Park Ridge, Ill. (Maine South HS); Pat Garvey, Grayslake, Ill. (Central HS); Jeff Grodecki, Glenview, Ill. (Glenbrook South HS); Jason Pankau, Elmhurst, Ill. (York HS)
FRESHMEN – Billy Dillon, Downers Grove, Ill. (South HS); Mark McDermott, Tinley Park, Ill. (Andrew HS); Joe Sweeney, Chicago, Ill. (Fenwick HS)