May 24, 2011

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – After winning a share of its first Big Ten Championship since 1979, Michigan State earned three conference individual awards as first baseman Jeff Holm was named Player of the Year, Kurt Wunderlich was named Pitcher of the Year and Jake Boss Jr. was named Coach of the Year. Ohio State’s Josh Dezse was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year.

Holm becomes just the second Spartan in history and the first since Bob Malek in 2002 to be named the Big Ten’s top player. The senior ranks second in the conference with a .379 average and a .607 slugging percentage. Holm leads the conference with 61 RBI and also ranks among the Big Ten’s leaders in on-base percentage (.443), runs scored (49), hits (80) and is tied for second with nine home runs.

Wunderlich is the first Michigan State player to collect Pitcher of the Year accolades. The senior leads the Big Ten with nine wins this season and boasts a 3.36 overall ERA. The right-hander picked up his first career complete-game shutout in the final home start of his career last Saturday, helping the Spartans to their first conference title in 32 years.

Boss is the second Spartan to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year, following Tom Smith who earned the accolades in 1988 and 1992. Boss led Michigan State to the program’s fourth Big Ten Championship and first since 1979. The Spartans also earned a bid to the 2011 Big Ten Baseball Tournament for the second time in three years and enter the event with a 34-19 overall record.

Dezse becomes the 10th player in Ohio State history to collect Freshman of the Year honors and the first since J.B. Shuck in 2006. The utility player was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on four occasions during the season. He led his team with a .341 average in all games and a .388 mark during conference play. He also compiled a 4-1 record over 24 pitching appearances, including a 2-0 mark in 12 Big Ten outings.

Holm and Wunderlich are both first-team All-Big Ten selections and are joined by teammates Ryan Jones (2B), Torsten Boss (3B), Brandon Eckerle (OF) and Tony Bucciferro (SP). Also on the first team are Indiana’s Joey DeNato (SP) and Alex Dickerson (DH), Minnesota’s Scott Matyas (RP) and AJ Pettersen (SS), Penn State’s Sean Deegan (OF) and Purdue’s Kevin Plawecki (C) and Barrett Serrato (OF). Eckerle and Deegan are unanimous selections.

The Big Ten also announced the 11 Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of All-Big Ten teams and award winners can be found below.
 
 
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
C – Kevin Plawecki, PUR
1B – Jeff Holm, MSU
2B – Ryan Jones, MSU
SS – AJ Pettersen, MINN
3B – Torsten Boss, MSU
OF – BRANDON ECKERLE, MSU
OF – SEAN DEEGAN, PSU
OF – Barrett Serrato, PUR
DH – Alex Dickerson, IND
SP – Joey DeNato, IND
SP – Tony Bucciferro, MSU
SP – Kurt Wunderlich, MSU
RP – Scott Matyas, MINN

ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
C – Adam Davis, ILL
1B – Josh Dezse, OSU
2B – Pete Cappetta, ILL
SS – Josh Parr, ILL
3B – Chris Lashmet, NU
OF – Patrick Biondi, MICH
OF – Michael O’Neill, MICH
OF – Tyler Spillner, PUR
DH – Paul Snieder, NU
SP – Jarred Hippen, IOWA
SP – Drew Rucinski, OSU
SP – Steven Hill, PSU
RP – Nick Wittgren, PUR

ALL-BIG TEN THIRD TEAM*
C – Tyson Blaser, IOWA
1B – Nick O’Shea, MINN
2B – Micah Johnson, IND
SS – Trevor Stevens, NU
3B – Cameron Perkins, PUR
OF – Willie Argo, ILL
OF – Casey McMurray, ILL
OF – Trevor Willis, IOWA
OF – Stephen Talbott, PUR
DH – Jared Hook, MSU
SP – Brandon Sinnery, MICH
SP – TJ Oakes, MINN
SP – John Walter, PSU
RP – Wes Braun, ILL
RP – Tony Wieber, MSU

ALL-BIG TEN FRESHMAN TEAM
C – Joel Fisher, MSU
1B – JOSH DEZSE, OSU
2B – KYLE RUCHIM, NU
SS – Thomas Lindauer, ILL
3B – DUSTIN DeMUTH, IND
OF – Taylor Zeutenhorst, IOWA
OF – MICHAEL O’NEILL, MICH
OF – Tim Wetzel, OSU
DH – Jack Livingston, NU
SP – JOEY DeNATO, IND
SP – David Garner, MSU
SP – GREG GREVE, OSU
RP – Ryan Halstead, IND

Unanimous honorees in ALL CAPS
* - Additional honorees due to tie

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
 Josh Parr, ILL
Brian Lambert, IND
Tyson Blaser, IOWA
Anthony Toth, MICH
Brandon Eckerle, MSU
Kyle Geason, MINN
Matt Gailey, NU
Theron Minium, OSU
Bobby Jacobs, PSU
David Blount, PUR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jeff Holm, MSU

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Kurt Wunderlich, MSU

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Josh Dezse, OSU

COACH OF THE YEAR
Jake Boss Jr., MSU

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Ten Baseball

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