The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) announced the 2012 Baseball All-Conference Team and postseason awards.
AU Head Coach Shaun Neitzel was named NAC Co-Coach of the Year, junior pitcher
Drew Gay (Marseilles, Ill./Marquette H.S.) was named NAC Pitcher of the Year, and freshman pitcher
Eric Palmer (Melrose Park, Ill./East Leyden H.S.) was the NAC Freshman of the Year.
In addition to the three top honors, the Spartans placed six players on the NAC All-Conference First-Team, two players on the NAC All-Conference Second-Team, one player on the NAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team, three players on the NAC All-Freshman Team and one player on the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
In his 10th season coaching the Spartans, Neitzel led AU to the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Spartans hold a 36-8 overall record and finished 18-4 in the NAC and will be making the school's 20th appearance in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships, the sixth under Neitzel.
Gay was named the NAC Pitcher of the Year for the second time in as many years, as well as First-Team All-Conference. He is the leader of the Spartan pitching staff with a 7-0 record and a 1.71 earned run average. In 68-1/3 innings pitched, he has struck out 60 and opponents are hitting .221 against him.
Palmer was selected as the NAC Freshman of the Year ,as well as First-Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team. In his first collegiate season, Palmer has been dominant with an 8-0 record and a 2.03 earned-run average. In 53-1/3 innings pitched, he has struck out 49 and opponents are hitting .216 against him.
Joining Gay and Palmer in receiving First-Team All-Conference honors were senior first baseman
Brett Van Asdlen
(Minooka, Ill/Minooka H.S.), senior outfielder
Ryan Adams (Geneva, Ill./Geneva H.S.), junior designated hitter
Cory Walden (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora H.S.) and sophomore pitcher
Brad Warnecke (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East H.S.).
Senior third baseman
Tim Mackey (Rosemont, Ill./East Leyden H.S.) and junior outfielder Mike Foley (Mokena, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) were named Second-Team All-Conference. Mackey was also named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. Senior outfielder
Josh Davidson (Cypress, Calif./Cypress H.S.) was named Honorable Mention All-Conference, while Palmer, second baseman
Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, Ill./East Leyden H.S.) and second baseman
Tanner Oymaian (Anaheim, Calif./Loara H.S.) were named to the All-Freshman Team.
Van Asdlen is hitting .375 with 48 runs scored, 57 runs batted in, 11 doubles and seven home runs. Adams is hitting
.398 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 61 runs scored and 51 runs batted in. Walden is hitting .372 with 14 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 54 runs batted in and 34 runs scored. Warnecke is 7-0 with a 1.18 earned-run average and 55 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.
Mackey leads the Spartan offense with a .400 batting average with 72 total hits with 18 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 57 runs scored and 30 runs batted in, and is 34-of-35 in stolen bases. Foley is hitting .302 with 11 doubles, eight home runs, 40 runs scored and 39 runs batted in.
Davidson has a .340 batting average with nine doubles, two triples, 44
runs scored and 22 runs batted in, and is 32-of-38 in stolen bases. The freshman duo of Olavarria (.308 with seven doubles, one triple, 24 runs scored and 16 runs batted in) and Oymaian (.295 with three doubles, one home run, 16 runs scored and 14 runs batted in) round out the Spartans receiving postseason NAC honors.
The Aurora University baseball team is currently 36-8 and making its 20th NCAA appearance and third in as many seasons. The Spartans are the No. 7 seed in the eight-team regional at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and are in action again on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 7 p.m. The Spartans earned their place in the 2012 NCAA Division III Championships after winning the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) tournament championship.
