5/8/2008 – ALL-CONFERENCE: 11 Bruins Earn All-NWC Recognition for Fine Seasons on Diamond
All-Northwest Conference Teams
NEWBERG, Ore. – Led by First Team All-Conference starting pitcher Mark Putney, 11 members of the George Fox University Bruins’ baseball team have received All-Northwest Conference recognition for the 2008 season as voted on by the league’s nine coaches.
Second Team Bruins chosen were catcher Ryan Fobert, first baseman Matt Wyckoff, center fielder Kyle Kuenzi, right fielder Dan Winterstein, and starting pitchers Nick Bratney and Nick Hedgecock. Honorable mention went to third baseman Pat Bailey, starting pitcher Shane Dalgleish, and relievers Brady Rhodes and Preston Langeliers.
Putney, a sophomore right-hander from Kodiak, Alaska, posted a 6-1 record with one save, a 2.77 earned run average, and had 42 strikeouts with only 12 walks in 48.2 innings. Moving into the rotation early in conference play, he made five starts and threw three complete games, including two shutouts, in his last three starts. He led the team in complete games and shutouts and tied for wins. Since giving up seven runs in three innings in first appearance of the season, he has posted a 1.58 ERA. His ERA ranked third in the conference, and he was in appearances with 15, fourth in wins and ninth in strikeouts.
Fobert, a switch-hitting senior from Dallas, Ore., led the Bruins in batting with a .389 average and in RBI with 37, collecting 13 doubles and two home runs among his 56 hits. He ranked fourth in the league in batting and hits, and seventh in doubles and RBI. He also scored 30 runs and stole four bases while making only one error behind the plate for a .995 fielding average. With only four strikeouts in 144 at bats, he ranks fourth nationally as the toughest to strike out. It was his third All-NWC honor, having been Second Team as a sophomore and First Team last year.
Wyckoff, a lefty-swinging junior from Olympia, Wash., was second on the team in batting at .388 while leading the Bruins with 59 hits, 19 doubles, and 46 runs scored. He also slugged five home runs, drove in 35, and was 12-13 in stolen bases. He led the conference in hits and doubles, and ranked second in runs scored, sixth in batting and slugging percentage with a .638 mark, seventh in steals, and ninth in RBI.
Kuenzi, a righty-swinging, lefty-throwing junior from Silverton, Ore., batted .345 while leading the team in stolen bases with 15 in 19 attempts and tying for the team lead in triples with four. He also collected five doubles, scored 44 runs, and drove in 26. He was second in the conference in triples, third in steals, and fifth in runs.
Winterstein, a freshman righty from Eugene, Ore., sparkled as rookie with a .344 batting average and four triples, tying for the team lead. He also collected nine doubles and one home run among his 53 hits, scored 35 runs, and knocked in 23. He was 8-10 in stolen bases, and displayed a powerful arm in right with seven assists. His triples ranked second in the in the league, his hits total was seventh, and he was ninth in steals.
Bratney, a junior right-hander from Boise, Idaho, went 5-2 with a 3.93 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 73.1 innings as the Bruins’ No. 1 starter. He led the team in innings, strikeouts, and games started with 11. His innings pitched and strikeouts ranked fifth in the NWC. He was a First Team All-NWC and Third Team All-West Region selection last year.
Hedgecock, a senior southpaw from Portland, Ore., was 5-2 with one save, a 2.91 ERA, and 31 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. He made 12 appearances, half of them starts, and threw a shutout in his one complete game. His ERA ranked sixth in the conference. He was an honorable mention All-NWC reliever last year, and is the Bruins’ all-time leader in saves with eight in his career.
Bailey, a junior from Highland, Utah, led the Bruins in home runs with seven while batting .362, with 50 hits, 14 doubles, 31 RBI and 36 runs scored. He led the team and was fifth in the league in slugging percentage with a .645 mark, and was third in the NWC in doubles and ninth in home runs. He was a First Team All-NWC selection last year at second base.
Dalgleish, a junior from Sammamish, Wash., earned the fourth spot in the Bruins’ rotation and responded with a 6-2 record, tying for the team lead in wins. He posted a 4.43 ERA, making nine starts, and worked 40.2 innings. His wins total was fourth in the conference.
Rhodes, a senior left-hander from Phoenix, Ore., went 1-1 in 16 appearances, 11 in relief, with a 6.03 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. He was second in the NWC in appeances. He is the only player remaining on the roster from the Bruins’ 2004 national championship team.
Langeliers, a senior from Pleasant Hill, Ore., was a key man in middle relief, going 1-2 with one save in 15 appearances, 11 in relief. He had a 7.28 ERA and struck out 24 in 29.2 innings. He was third in the league in appearances. As a starter last year, he was a Second Team All-NWC pick.
Under first-year coach Marty Hunter, George Fox went 28-12 this spring for a 13th consecutive winning season, and finished second in the conference to Linfield College with a 24-8 league mark. The Bruins are ranked second in the West Region and are hopeful of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament, with the 54-team field to be announced this Sunday.
Top conference honors this season went to Kyle Stalker of Willamette University as Player of the Year, Brian Clark of Linfield as Pitcher of the Year, and first-year coach Scott Brosius of league champion Linfield as Coach of the Year.