June 1, 2007

All over the nation Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League alumni and incoming players earned conference and division honors in 2007. Here's a team-by-team look at how former and future Ripken, Sr. League stars stacked up in their collegiate seasons.

Bethesda Big Train │ College Park Bombers │ Herndon Braves │ Maryland Redbirds │ Rockville Express │ Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts │ Youse's Maryland Orioles

Bethesda Big Train

Current UNC-Charlotte and former Big Train teammates (2006) Cory Lane and Chris Taylor both earned spots on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team in 2007. The junior catcher Taylor hit .344 with a team-leading 24 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. He also knocked in 59 runs in 57 games through May 26. Taylor posted a .980 OPS for the 49ers in 2007. The senior Lane hit .306 and started all 57 games for the 49ers through May 26. Lane hit 18 doubles and a team-leading 9 triples. He also homered six times, knocked in 48 runs, and scored 53 of his own.

In leading Charlotte to the 2007 A10 Championship, Taylor and Lane combined for 11 hits, including four doubles, a triple, and three home runs in 28 at-bats. Taylor earned All-Championship team honors.

Senior Jonnie Knoble (Big Train 2005) was named to the West Coast Conference All-Conference Team after hitting .311 with 59 hits, including seven doubles, a triple, and a home run for the University of San Francisco Dons in 2007. Knoble played in all 55 games for the Dons and started 54 of them. A leader in the classroom as well as on the field, Knoble was also named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team for the University Division of District 8.

Sophomore Matt Wickswat (Big Train 2006) earned Honorable Mention All-West Coast Conference honors after posting a 7-5 record on the mound for the Santa Clara University Broncos in 2007. Wickswat struck out a team-high 88 in 97.2 innings-pitched in 16 starts (also a team-high). Incoming Big Train player Brian Chavez also earned Honorable Mention honors in the West Coast Conference for San Francisco, and fellow incoming Big Trainer Jon Karcich of Santa Clara was Player of the Week in the West Coast Conference for the week of May 21.

Junior Dan Terpak (Big Train 2005) was named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team for the University Division of District 2. Terpak hit .307 for the Villanova University Wildcats in 2007. He collected 63 hits, 10 of them doubles, and led the team with six triples, eight home runs, and 48 RBI. He also slugged at a team-high clip of .532 and posted a .903 OPS in 2007. Terpak also stole seven bases in eight attempts. Terpak was Big East Player of the Week for the week of May 14. He also earned 2007 Philadelphia Big 5 First Team honors and was named the Big 5's Student-Athlete of the Year by maintaining a 3.73 GPA in 2007. Terpak is a finance major at Villanova.

Incoming Big Train outfielder Clay Whittemore was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and earned Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America honors in 2007. Whittemore hit .391 (second in the league) while starting all 60 games for the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks. He led the OVC with 93 hits, 20 doubles, and 69 RBI. He also scored 53 runs (third in the OVC), hit three home runs, and collected 122 total bases (third in the OVC). Whittemore stole six bases and posted a .962 OPS. His .449 on-base percentage was third best in the conference. Whittemore's 2007 campaign earned him a spot on the revised Watch List for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to college baseball's top performer.

Fellow 2007 Big Trainer and current Jacksonville State teammate Bert Smith was named to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Conference Team. The sophomore hit .359 (sixth in the OVC) and played in all 60 games for the Gamecocks in 2007. He collected 84 hits (second in the OVC), including 12 doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He scored a conference-best 65 runs and knocked in 35 more. He reached base at a .444 clip (fourth in the OVC) and stole a league-high 31 bases.

Freshman Ben Tootle, who will also play for the Big Train in 2007, earned Ohio Valley Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 2007. Tootle started a team-high 17 games on the mound for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks and posted a 6-2 record. He struck out 67 batters (second on the team) in 88.1 innings-pitched. Tootle was Pitcher of the Week in the OVC for the week of May 14.

Senior Nick Cleckler (Big Train 2004-2006) won't play with current Jacksonville State teammates Whittemore and Smith this summer, but the speedy outfielder did earn All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team honors for his efforts in 2007. Cleckler hit .316 in 56 games for the Gamecocks. He collected 59 hits, including eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He knocked in 32 hits and scored 48 of his own. Cleckler walked 28 times and stole 11 bases in 2007. Cleckler was listed on the pre-season Watch List for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award.

Another incoming Big Trainer, Chris Duffy, earned All-Freshman team honors in Conference USA in 2007 for the University of Central Florida Golden Knights. Duffy hit .295 with 51 hits, including nine doubles and eight home runs. He scored 26 runs and knocked in 34 more. Duffy's .486 slugging percentage was second highest on the team.

Senior Ben Grisham (Big Train 2004-2005) was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team in 2007. Grisham started 10 games on the mound for the Memphis Tigers and posted a 4-3 record and 5.68 ERA. He tossed one complete game and also earned a save while striking out 36 in 65 innings-pitched. Grisham was Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 2.

Junior pitcher Kenny Moreland (Big Train 2005) earned All-USA South Conference honors after leading the Christopher Newport University Captains with a 2.30 ERA and 9-3 record in a team-high 13 starts on the mound in 2007. Moreland tossed three complete games and struck out a conference-high 90 batters in 97.2 innings-pitched. He walked just 18 batters.

Senior Robby Smithson (Big Train 2005-2006) was named Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 23 after earning the win for the Lipscomb University Bisons against the nation's top-rated Vanderbilt Commodores. Smithson allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings while striking out five in that game.

Incoming Big Train player Mike Matta was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the week of April 16 after recording a win and two saves in four relief appearances for Mount Saint Mary's University. Matta did not allow an earned run in 5.2 innings over the week.

College Park Bombers

Junior Joel Gonzalez (Bombers 2005-2007) earned All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Second Team honors after leading the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks with a .378 average in 54 games in 2007. Gonzalez led the Hawks with 68 hits, 14 doubles, a home run, 34 RBI, and 35 runs scored. He also recorded one triple, 28 walks, and 13 stolen bases, and reached base at a team-high .474. His .483 slugging percentage and .957 OPS also led the team. In the MEAC Conference Championship, Gonzalez collected four hits, including two doubles, in 12 at-bats. He also knocked in three runs and stole a base to earn a spot on the 2007 MEAC All-Tournament Team. Gonzalez was also named MEAC Player of the Week for the week of April 3.

Gonzalez's prolific offensive output in 2007 consistently earned him votes for the CSTV.com Player of the Year race, updated each week during the college baseball season on CSTV.com. He was also included on the revised Watch List for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award.

Junior catcher Tim Park (Bombers 2005, T'Bolts 2006-2007) earned All-Colonial Athletic Association honors after hitting .391 in 54 games for the William & Mary University Tribe in 2007. Park led the CAA with 64 runs scored and the Tribe with 10 home runs. He collected 86 hits (second on the team), and 16 doubles, and knocked in 47 runs while slugging at a .600 clip. He finished with a .458 on-base percentage and 1.058 OPS and stole five bases.

Junior shortstop Matt Bodenchuk (Bombers 2006-2007) earned All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors after hitting .395 with a team-best 89 hits (third in the RMAC), 16 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs (third in the conference), and 80 RBI in 61 games for the Mesa State College Mavericks in 2007. His 80 RBI were 14 more than the second-most in the RMAC. Bodenchuk led teh team with 67 runs scored (fourth in the RMAC), 153 total bases (second in the conference), and a .680 slugging percentage. He reached base at a .472 clip and stole 14 of 15 bags. Bodenchuk was voted to the Daktronics Division II All-America Team, the Daktronics Division II All-West Region Team, and the NCBWA Division II All-West Region Team. Bodenchuk was RMAC Player of the Week for the week of May 1.

Junior pitcher Tom Dolan (Bombers 2006) and junior outfielder Jeremy Jakubowski (Bombers 2006-2007) were both named to the 2007 Philadelphia Big 5 Team. Dolan led the Temple University Owls with a 3.96 ERA and a 6-5 record in 2007. He started 13 games and struck out 70 batters (eighth in the A10) in 86.1 innings-pitched. He walked just 22 batters. Dolan was Collegiate Baseball Magazine's National Player of the Week for the week of April 9 after striking out 16 batters in eight innings against Dayton University on April 8. He also earned Big 5 Player of the Week honors for the effort.

Jakubowski hit .331 for the St. Joseph's University Hawks in 2007. He collected 52 hits, including a double and two triples, and knocked in 23 runs. He scored 26 times and reached base at a .402 clip. Jakubowski led the Hawks with 14 stolen bases (eighth in the A10).

Pitcher Mike Castrignano (Bombers 2006) was named NJCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 25 after setting a Delaware Tech record by tossing a perfect game against Catonsville (MD) Community College on April 21. Castrignano struck out seven batters en route to the first perfect game in Delaware Tech history. In 2007, Castrignano led Del Tech with a 6-1 record and 49 strikeouts in 52 innings-pitched. He pitched to an ERA of 2.60.

2005 Bombers teammates Hank Coogan and Ian Marshall each earned Player of the Week honors in the Atlantic 10 in 2007. Coogan was the A10 Hitter of the Week for the Week of March 26. The catcher collected 14 hits in 28 at-bats for the University of Richmond Spiders while hitting safely in all six games that week. He opened the week with a two-home run game against Towson on March 19 and collected five hits against Rhode Island on March 23. Coogan finished the week with seven runs scored and seven RBI. Marshall earned Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of February 26 after tossing a four-hit shutout for the Richmond Spiders to defeat the University of Delaware, 2-0, on February 24. Marshall walked one and struck out 10 in seven innings to pick up the victory.

Freshman Mike Celenza, who will play for the Bombers in 2007, earned All-Capital Athletic Conference honors for the Salisbury University Sea Gulls in 2007. Celenza hit .363 with 58 hits, 15 doubles (third in the CAC), two triples, and five home runs (second in the CAC) for the Gulls. He knocked in 47 runs (fourth in the CAC) and scored 36 of his own. Celenza slugged at a .575 clip.

Incoming Bomber Tristan Mulcahy earned A10 Hitter of the Week honors for the week of March 12 after leading the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies with 15 hits in 30 at-bats in seven games during the week. Mulcahy hit safely in every game and recorded a pair of four-hit games, including a two-home run effort against New Jersey Tech on March 11. He knocked in 10 runs and scored eight of his own.

Another incoming Bomber, sophomore Dean Laganosky, was named to the All-Centennial Conference Team after hitting .378 with 7 doubles for Haverford College in 2007. He led the Centennial Conference with 31 stolen bases and was third in the nation for NCAA Division III with 1.11 swipes per game. He was Centennial Conference Player of the Week for the week of April 30 after hitting .727 and breaking Haverford's single-season school record for stolen bases.

Herndon Braves

Braves alum Kellen Kulbacki (Braves 2005) was Co-Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association and was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American Second Team in 2007. Kulbacki led the James Madison University Dukes with a .398 batting average (third in the CAA) and 76 hits in 53 games. The junior outfielder also led the team with 56 runs scored, 15 doubles, 19 home runs (second in the CAA), and 49 RBI. His .785 slugging percentage, 56 walks, and .538 on-base percentage were tops in the CAA. He tripled once and stole nine bases, and was named CAA Player of the Week for the weeks of February 26 and April 16.

Kulbacki received votes for the CSTV.com National Player of the Year Award each week of the college season in 2007. He is one of 16 semi-finalists for the 2007 Dick Howser Trophy, the top award in Division I college baseball. He is one of 30 semi-finalists for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award, and one of 40 semi-finalists for the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.

Incoming Brave Kyle Armeny earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors after leading the University of Pennsylvania Quakers with 14 doubles, eight home runs (third in the Ivy League), and 33 RBI in 2007. The junior first baseman hit .326 with 46 hits and a team-leading 35 runs scored. He slugged at a team-best .596 clip and carried a .434 on-base percentage. Armeny was Big 5 Player of the Week for the week of April 25. He also earned a spot on the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District for the University Division of District 2.

Fellow 2007 Brave Dan Palumbo was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team. Palumbo hit .315 with 46 hits, including 10 doubles in 43 games for the George Mason University Patriots in 2007. Palumbo scored 21 runs and knocked in 19.

Freshman Phillip Deane (Braves 2007) was Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week for the weeks of March 26 and April 9. Deane tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits while striking out two for the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams in a 10-1 win over UMBC on March 20. Against Richmond on April 4, Deane allowed one hit in 7.1 innings-pitched while striking out seven to pick up the win for VCU. He took a no-hitter into the eighth and faced just one batter over the minimum.

Maryland Redbirds

Senior Andrew Jensen (Redbirds 2005-2006) earned Rawlings/ABCA Division III All-America Second Team honors in 2007 after leading the Salisbury University Sea Gulls and Capital Athletic Conference in batting average (.446), on-base percentage (.493), runs scored (53), hits (78), RBI (56), doubles (19), triples (5), and total bases (116). He was second in the conference with a .663 slugging percentage. Jensen was also named to the D3baseball.com All-America Second Team, the Rawlings/ABCA Division III All-South Region Team, and the All-Capital Athletic Conference Team in 2007.

Junior Rob Pietroforte (Redbirds 2006-2007) was named to the All-Centennial Conference First Team for the second consecutive season after hitting .360 with 59 hits (fourth in the conference) in all 49 games for the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays in 2007. Pietroforte led the conference with seven triples and 35 walks and led the Blue Jays with a .486 on-base percentage (third in the conference). He was second on the team with 14 doubles, five home runs, and 50 RBI. He also scored 50 runs (third in the conference), and slugged at a .622 clip (fourth in the conference). On the bases, he was 13 of 16 in steal attempts. Pietroforte was also named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team for the College Division in 2007. The economics major carried a 3.70 GPA in the classroom in 2007. He also earned Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll honors.

Fellow Redbird Tommy Herrmann (Redbirds 2005-2006) earned Second Team All-Centennial Conference honors after hitting .297 with 33 hits in 34 games for the Ursinus College Bears. Herrmann led the Bears with 44 runs scored (fourth in the conference). He collected three doubles and hit one home run. He drove in 14 runs and reached base at a .467 clip (eighth in the conference). Herrmann also stole 24 bases (second in the conference) and was hit by a league-high 14 pitches. Like Pietroforte, Herrmann was named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team in the College Division of District 2.

Senior pitcher Dan Oleynik (Redbirds 2005-2006) earned Second Team All-Capital Athletic Conference honors after posting a 6-2 record and 2.13 ERA for the Salisbury University Sea Gulls in 2007. Oleynik made nine starts for the Gulls, combined on four shutouts, picked up a save, and struck out 37 batters in 63.1 innings-pitched. He walked just 11.

Former Redbird All-Star Mike Schurz (Redbirds 2006) was Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 26 after picking up a win and two saves in three appearances for the Iowa Hawkeyes and 4.1 combined innings pitched. He allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out seven during the week. In 2007, Schurz posted a 6-1 record and collected 9 saves (fourth in the conference) in 24 appearances while pitching to a 3.72 ERA. Schurz struck out 35 batters in 29 innings pitched and walked just 13.

Andrew Germuth, who has pitched for both the Maryland Redbirds and Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts in the Ripken, Sr. League, was Pitcher of the Week in the Northeast Conference for the week of April 23. The junior for Mount Saint Mary's tossed a three-hit shutout against Central Connecticut State University and struck out a career-high 10 batters to pick up the win. Germuth led The Mount with an 8-5 record in 14 starts (most in the NEC), including two complete games and 53 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched (third in the NEC). Germuth pitched to a 4.59 ERA and walked just 16 batters in 2007.

Redbirds veteran Jon Dupski (Maryland Redbirds 2005-2006) was named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team for the University Division of District 2. Dupski led the Towson Tigers with a 4.23 ERA and 4-3 record in 21 appearances (four starts). He also collected three saves. Dupski struck out 33 batters in 55.1 innings pitched.

Rockville Express

Former Express pitcher Joe Smith (Express 2005) became the first Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League alum to reach the Major Leagues when he made the Opening Day roster of the New York Mets. Smith is 1-0 with a 1.25 ERA in 24 relief appearances for the Mets so far in 2007. He has 25 strikeouts in 21.2 innings-pitched and has walked just seven batters.

Junior Adam Olbrychowski (Express 2005) earned All-West Coast Conference honors after posting a 5-2 record and 3.03 ERA in 21 appearances for the Pepperdine Waves in 2007. He made four starts and also earned one save out of the bullpen. In 62.1 innings-pitched, Olbrychowski struck out 39 batters and walked just 19. Olbrychowski was the WCC Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 5.

Senior Kyle Skellchock (Express 2005) was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association Second Team after hitting .350 in 49 starts for the Towson University Tigers in 2007. He led the team with 200 at-bats, 70 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, 48 runs scored, and 39 RBI. He also hit nine home runs and walked 26 times. Skellchock posted an OPS of 1.030 and stole four bases. He was CAA Player of the Week for the week of April 30.

Sophomore infielder Ben Orloff (Express 2006) earned All-Big West Conference Second Team honors after leading the UC-Irvine Anteaters with eighteen stolen bases (third in the Big West). Orloff hit .353 (eighth in the conference) with 76 hits (seventh in the conference), including 10 doubles. He knocked in 30 runs and scored 44 of his own (ninth in the conference).

Junior closer Dan Kennedy (Express 2006-2007) was listed on the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List after leading the Georgetown University Hoyas with 11 saves in 2007. He pitched to a 2.33 ERA and struck out 22 batters while walking just six in 27 innings-pitched. Incoming Express pitcher JD Melton was also included on the Mid-Season Watch List after leading the Navy Midshipmen with 9 saves in 19 relief appearances in 2007. Melton posted a 3-2 record with a 2.45 ERA and struck out 17 batters in 29.1 innings pitched. The freshman earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors for his efforts.

Senior closer Justin Segal (Express 2005) was listed on the pre-season Watch Lists for both the NCBWA Stoppper of the Year Award and the Roger Clemens Award. Segal saved eight ballgames for the University of California-Santa Barbara Gauchos in 2007. He led the team with 33 appearances out of the bullpen and struck out 39 batters in 47 innings-pitched. He walked a team-low eight batters for pitchers with more than 10 innings of work in 2007.

Matt Eiden (Express 2005) earned All-Northeast Conference Second Team honors after hitting .338 with 54 hits for Mount Saint Mary's College in 2007. Eiden hit seven doubles and one home run and knocked in 22 runs. He also scored 28 times and posted an on-base percentage of .425.

Sophomore Mike Gilmartin (Express 2006) was named to the All-Southern Conference Second Team by the Sportswriters' Association after hitting .324 in all 61 games for the Wofford College Terriers in 2007. Gilmartin collected 84 hits, including 11 doubles and 13 home runs. He drove in 49 runs and scored 56 of his own, and slugged at a .517 clip.

Junior catcher Derek Mechling (Express 2006) was named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team in 2007. Mechling hit .287 with 45 hits, including five doubles and five home runs for the Duquesne University Dukes in 2007. He drove in 24 runs and scored 27 of his own, and stole eight bases. Mechling was A10 Player of the Week for the week of May 14.

Fellow Duke and former Express infielder Bill Torre (Express 2006) was A10 Player of the Week for the week of April 30 after going 8-for-13 in four games for Duquesne, with two home runs and a triple. Torre scored eight runs in that stretch and knocked in four.

Senior Hans Falkenhan (Express 2005) was Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week of April 2 after going 12-for-22 with five doubles, two home runs, six runs scored and 10 RBI in five games for the Towson University Tigers. During the week, Falkenhan posted a five-hit game against George Washington University and a four-hit game against Hofstra University.

Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts

Senior pitcher Adam Mills (Thunderbolts 2004) was named to the Louisville Slugger All-America Team in 2007, as announced by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. The Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, Mills went 13-2 in 17 starts for the UNC-Charlotte 49ers in 2007. He allowed just 1.06 runs per game and tossed eight complete games. In 135.6 innings pitched, Mills struck out 136 batters and walked just 26. Mills is a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy Award, the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, the Roger Clemens Award, the Brooks Wallace Award, and the CSTV.com Player of the Year Award. He was also named to the ABCA All-South Region Team.

Senior outfielder Alex Udwari (Thunderbolts 2005-2006) was named to the All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference First Team after leading the Belmont Abbey College Crusaders with 16 home runs in 2007 (second in the conference). Udwari hit .312 with 73 hits and started all 54 games for the Crusaders. He hit 14 doubles and knocked in 57 runs (ninth in the conference). He also scored 52 of his own. Udwari was also named to the 2007 Daktronics All-South Atlantic Region First Team, the 2007 NCBWA All-South Region Second Team, and the 2007 Rawlings/ABCA South Atlantic Region Second Team.

Last year's Ripken, Sr. League co-MVP Charlie Lenhard (Thunderbolts 2006) was named MAC East Player of the Week for the week of March 13 after collecting nine hits in 19 at-bats with four doubles, a triple, a home run, six runs scored, and three RBI. Lenhard led Akron to a 5-0 record over the course of the week, slugging at a clip of .947.

2005 All-Ripken, Sr. League pitcher Brett Cecil (Thunderbolts 2005) was listed on the pre-season Watch List for the Roger Clemens Award and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. The senior closer picked up eight saves for the University of Maryland Terrapins in 2007. He pitched to a 5-6 record with a 3.32 ERA and struck out 62 batters in 62.1 innings-pitched. He walked just 19. Cecil was projected as the 22nd overall pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by Baseball America as late as May 20.

Junior Joe Maca (Thunderbolts 2006-2007) earned All-Capital Athletic Conference Second Team honors after hitting .308 with 44 hits for the Catholic University Cardinals in 2007. Maca hit nine doubles, two triples, and three home runs for Catholic. He scored 30 runs and drove in 27, and stole 23 of 24 bases (third in the CAC).

Senior Mickey Shupin (Thunderbolts 2004-2005) was the recipient of George Washington University's Warren H. Fulton III Memorial Award, given annually to the Colonial baseball player who best exemplifies the spirit, teamwork, and sportsmanship demonstrated by the late Warren Fulton. Shupin finished his Colonial career with a school-record 79 stolen bases, including 33 in 2007.

Incoming Thunderbolts pitcher Clay Bartlett earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors after leading the Columbia University Lions with a 3.94 ERA in 2007. Bartlett posted a 4-2 record and struck out 17 batters in 45.2 innings-pitched.

Senior Bill Konecny (Thunderbolts 2005) was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 2 after tossing a complete-game shutout for the Xavier University Muskateers against the Saint Louis Billikens. Konecny allowed just two hits and three walks and struck out six while facing just one batter over the minimum.

George Washington University senior pitcher Derek Haese (Thunderbolts 2005) was presented with the 2007 Jackie Robinson Award. The award is given in recognition of qualities exhibited that reflect the courage and perseverance of Jackie Robinson. Haese began his career with the Colonials in 2004 and pitched in just one inning that year. By 2006, Haese tied for the team lead with six wins and finished with a 2.09 ERA. Haese collected three saves for George Washington in 2007.

Youse's Maryland Orioles

George Mason junior Jason Bour (Orioles 2006) and sophomore Scott Krieger (Orioles 2006) both earned All-Colonial Athletic Association honors in 2007. Bour hit .366 with 74 hits in 53 games for the Patriots. He collected 17 doubles and 13 home runs, and led the team with three triples. Bour knocked in 50 runs and scored 40 of his own. He posted a 1.066 OPS.

Krieger hit. 365 with a team-high 80 hits. He led the CAA with 68 RBI and 20 home runs, and was second in the conference with 156 total bases. His .712 slugging percentage was third best in the CAA. Krieger hit 12 doubles and two triples, and scored 59 runs. He posted an OPS of 1.138 and stole six bases. Krieger set a school record by homering in five straight games from March 3 to March 10 and was CAA Player of the Week for the week of March 6.

Bour's brother, Justin (Orioles 2006-2007), made George Mason history in one game against Coppin State University on March 6 by hitting two grand slams and knocking in nine runs. Two games later, Bour set another school record by homering multiple times for the third straight game. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper called it "one of the best weeks in college baseball history." On the way to winning the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, the NCBWA's Pro-Line Athletic National Hitter of the Week, and Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week awards, Bour drove in 19 runs, scored nine himself, and slugged at a whopping 1.650 clip. Bour was also named to the College Baseball Foundation's weekly National Honor Roll.

Justin finished the season on the Colonial Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team after hitting .301 with 63 hits, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 54 RBI, and 39 runs scored. He slugged at a .560 clip and posted an OPS of .901. In addition to being named CAA Player of the Week for his historical week of March 12, Bour earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors twice, for the weeks of April 16 and May 7.

Bour's Oriole teammate Daniel Cropper (Orioles 2006-2007) was also named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team for the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks in 2007. Cropper went 5-5 in 15 starts for the Seahawks, including one shutout. His 84 innings-pitched led the team, and he posted an ERA of 3.75. Cropper struck out 54 batters and walked just 22. Opponents hit a team-low .249 off of him. Cropper was CAA Rookie of the Week for the Weeks of March 12, April 23, and April 30.

Incoming Oriole Chris Henderson (Orioles 2007) was also named to the CAA All-Rookie Team after hitting .351 with 68 hits, including 16 doubles, a triple, and a home run for the George Mason Patriots in 2007. Henderson knocked in 27 runs and scored 38.

Another newcomer to the Orioles, Alex Buchholz, (Orioles 2007) earned All-Colonial Athletic Conference Second Team honors after leading the University of Delaware Blue Hens with a .387 average and 92 hits (third in the CAA) in 55 games. He led the team with 27 doubles (best in the CAA), 63 RBI (second in the CAA), a .689 slugging percentage (fourth in the CAA), and a .433 on-base percentage. Buchholz scored 46 runs, and hit six triples (second in the CAA), and collected a conference-high 164 total bases. He also stole five bases. Buchholz was named CAA Player of the Week for the week of May 14.

Fellow Blue Hen Chad Kerfoot (Orioles 2005) was CAA Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 9 after tossing eight shutout innings of two-hit baseball in a 12-0 win over George Mason. The senior took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and struck out five.

Another 2005 Oriole, Dan Jaycox, was CAA Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 7 after allowing just one hit over six shutout innings for the George Mason Patriots in a 2-0 win over Old Dominion University. Jaycox struck out eight to pick up the win.

Sophomore Eddie Bach (Orioles 2006) earned Pitcher of the Week honors in the America East Conference for the week of March 11 after tossing eight shutout innings for the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers in a 5-0 win over Wagner. Bach scattered four hits and two walks and struck out eight to pick up the victory.

Junior Mitch Harris (Orioles 2006) was listed twice on the All-Patriot League Second Team in 2007--as a pitcher and as a designated hitter. Harris hit .293 with 51 hits for the Navy Midshipmen. He led the team with 10 doubles (fifth in the Patriot League), four triples (best in the league), eight home runs (best in the league), 47 RBI (best in the league), 93 total bases (second in the league), and a .534 slugging percentage (third in the league). He also scored 36 runs (fourth in the league), walked 17 times, and stole two bases. On the mound, Harris led all Navy starters with a 2.14 ERA (fourth in the league) and an 8-5 record in 14 starts with four complete games, a shutout, and a league-high 119 strikeouts in 88.1 innings-pitched (most in the league). Harris walked just 36 batters and opponents hit a meager .181 off of him (best in the league). The righthander was Patriot League Hitter of the Week for the week of April 3 and Pitcher of the Week for the weeks of February 19 and 26, and May 7. In 2007, Harris received votes for the CSTV.com Player of the Year Award and was named to the Watch List for the Roger Clemens Award (given annually to college baseball's best pitcher), the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, and the Brooks Wallace Award.

Junior Jon Kibler (Orioles 2006) earned All-Big 10 Conference Third Team honors after posting a 5-5 record in 11 starts for the Michigan State University Spartans in 2007. Kibler went the distance three times for the Spartans and struck out 41 batters in 66.1 innings-pithced. He posted an ERA of 4.34.

Junior TJ Hose (Orioles 2005) earned All-Conference USA Second Team honors for the East Carolina University Pirates in 2007. Hose led the team with six wins and posted a 3.59 ERA in a team-high 92.2 innings-pitched (seventh in the conference) over 16 starts. Hose led the team with 70 strikeouts (eighth in the conference). Hose was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the weeks of March 12 and May 7.

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