Soto and VanLeur Highlight Seven All-MVC Selections
5/18/2009 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Elliot Soto and Jack VanLeur were named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Baseball First-Team, announced on Monday. In total the Bluejays had seven players receive All-Conference honors, their most under head coach Ed Servais.
Aside from Soto and VanLeur, Darin Ruf, Vicente Cafaro, Robbie Knight, T.J. Roemmich and Bob Lackovic were also named to the All-MVC team. Ruf, Cafaro and Knight were named to the second-team, while Roemmich and Lackovic earned honorable mention.
Soto has the second-highest average among CU regulars at .314. He had a 23-game hit streak earlier in the season, just five shy of the school-record of 28 set by Tony Roth in 2005. Soto has been a part of 48 of the team's 65 double plays on the season, good for third in the nation heading into last weekend.
VanLeur who is tied for the NCAA-lead in appearances with 34, has filled the role as Creighton's closer this year. He has a team-high five saves to go along with a 4.11 ERA in 46.0 innings.
For Ruf it is the third straight year he has been named to the All-MVC team. He currently has 2205 career putouts, good for fourth in the NCAA. This year he is second on the team with eight home runs, and is fifth in the MVC with 48 RBI.
Cafaro also has been a part of 48 of the team's 65 double plays, and has also shown ability with the bat. The senior from Maracay, Venezuela, has hit .301 this year including a .478 slugging percentage.
Knight is making the team for the second straight year. Primarily the leadoff hitter, he leads the Bluejays with a .346 average and has a team-high 16 doubles. Defensively he has helped Creighton to its .983 fielding percentage, by fielding 113 chances in centerfield all without an error.
Roemmich has shown great offensive prowess this year, hitting a team-high nine home runs. Starting every game in right field this year, he has eight assists this year, including five runners gunned down at the plate.
Rounding out the selections this year for the Jays is Bob Lackovic. A first-time selection, he is currently tied for sixth in the nation with 32 appearances. He is tied for the team-lead with five wins, and owns a 3.64 ERA in 42.0 innings. Earlier this year he got the win as he threw 5.1 scoreless innings against Illinois State on May 3, to help the team come back from a 6-0 deficit for its largest comeback in seven years.
Creighton will return to action on Wednesday, May 20 against Southern Illinois at 11:00 a.m., in the first round of the MVC Tournament. All games will be played at Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State.
Below are the all-conference selections
First Team
1B ? Clint McKeever, Wichita State
2B ? Kevin Medrano, Missouri State
SS ? Elliot Soto, Creighton
3B ? Brayden Drake, Missouri State
C ? Dallas Hord, Missouri State
DH ? Tyler Bullock, Southern Illinois
UT ? Ryan Strausborger, Indiana State
OF ? Brady Shoemaker, Indiana State
OF ? Nick Ciolli, Indiana State
OF ? Ben Carlson, Missouri State
SP ? Buddy Baumann, Missouri State
SP ? Aaron Meade, Missouri State
SP ? Joe Rodriguez, Indiana State
RP ? Bryant George, Southern Illinois
RP ? Jack VanLeur, Creighton
Second Team
1B ? Darin Ruf, Creighton
2B ? Vicente Cafaro, Creighton
SS ? Collin Salzenstein, Illinois State
3B ? Cody Fick, Evansville
C ? Kyle “Bronco” Lafrenz, Indiana State
DH ? Andy Pascoe, Evansville
UT ? Brett Douglas, UNI
OF ? Robbie Knight, Creighton
OF ? Nick Mitidiero, Bradley
OF ? Travis Bennett, UNI
SP ? Tim Kelley, Wichita State
SP ? Nick Kirk, UNI
SP ? Jake Petricka, Indiana State
RP ? Matt Shelton, Indiana State
RP ? Tom Heithoff, Evansville
Honorable Mention
1B ? Chris Serritella, Southern Illinois; Jason Summers, UNI
2B ? Mike Stalowy, Illinois State
SS ? Tyler Grimes, Wichita State
3B ? Ryan Court, Illinois State; Luke Fieser, Indiana State
C ? Mark Kelly, Southern Illinois
DH ? Tyler Graham, Indiana State
UT ? Chris Playter, Missouri State
OF ? Grant Escue, Bradley; Tyler McNeely, Illinois State; T.J. Roemmich, Creighton
SP ? Ryan Camp, Illinois State; Rob Scahill, Bradley
RP ? Bob Lackovic, Creighton; Shuhei Fujiya, UNI; J.R. Carbonell, Evansville
Player of the Year ?
Brayden Drake, Missouri State
Pitcher of the Year ?
Buddy Baumann, Missouri State
Newcomer of the Year ?
Travis Bennett, UNI
Freshman of the Year ?
Kevin Medrano, Missouri State
