May 26, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Seniors Mick Curran and Jason Shearn and junior Cory Lapinski have been chosen as the winners of the “Most Valuable Player” award for the 2005 Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team.
Lapinski was also named the “Most Valuable Pitcher” and Shearn also won the “Best Defensive” award for the Titans, who finished with a 34-13 record, won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title and advanced to the NCAA Division III regional tournament for the second straight season. IWU finished No. 13 in the final national Division III coaches poll.
Curran, a third baseman from Orland Park (Sandburg HS), was also the team co-MVP with Lapinski in 2004.He led this spring’s team with a .372 average and his 64 hits is the fourth most in a single season at IWU. He had 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in and his 28-game hitting streak is the longest in head coach Dennis Martel’s 18-year tenure.
In his career Curran became IWU’s all-time leader in hits (222) and at bats (620), third in RBI (137) and doubles (48), fifth in runs (139) and home runs (25) and 13th with a .358 average.
Lapinski (Niles, Maine East HS) set a school record with 117 strikeouts en route to an 8-1 season and a 1.91 earned run average. The “Player of the Year” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Lapinski was a five-time league “Player of the Week” and had five games with 10 or more strikeouts, including 19 vs. Augustana and 18 in an NCAA regional game against Wartburg.
Shearn, a catcher from Wheeling (Buffalo Grove HS), hit .314 with six doubles and 21 RBI. He committed only three errors in 338 chances for a .991 fielding percentage.
In other team honors for the Titans, juniors Brandon DuBois (Beecher HS) and John Wantiez (Oak Lawn, St. Rita HS) and sophomore Robert Inzinga (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS) were chosen as the winners of the “Most Improved Player” honor and freshmen second baseman Ricky Angel (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS) won the “Top Newcomer” award.
DuBois posted a 6-2 record with a 3.36 earned run average and struck out 48 in 75 innings.
Wantiez appeared in a team-high 16 games and made three saves with a 1-1 record.
Inzinga was 4-0 with a 3.51 earned run average and struck out 29 in 41 innings.
Angel was second on the team with a .360 batting average and 13 doubles. He had 13 doubles, four homers, 33 RBI and his 64 hits tied Curran for fourth most in a single IWU season.
DuBois, sophomore infielder Patrick McWilliams (Naperville, North HS), and freshman catcher Billy Spieth (Homewood, Homewood-Flossmoor HS) shared the “Titan Award,” which is given for hustle and competitive attitude.
As a team, IWU had a single season record in pitching strikeouts (352) and amassed the second most doubles (90) and home runs (53) in a single season. The Titans committed the third fewest errors (57) in school history.
Martel, whose 18-year record is 447-303-3, awarded letters to 27 players. They are, with hometowns and high schools:
SENIORS - Mick Curran (Orland Park, Sandburg HS); Patrick Poston (Santa Rosa, Calif., Maria Carilla HS); Jason Shearn (Wheeling, Buffalo Grove HS).
JUNIORS – Nick Chilczenkowski (LaFox, Geneva HS); Pat Cinquegrani (Barrington, Fremd HS); Dave Dobosz (Lombard, Glenbard West HS); Brandon DuBois (Beecher HS); Ryan Gilbert (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way Central HS); Ryne Haag (Minonk, Fieldcrest HS); Drew Himes (Princeton HS); Joe Howard (Downers Grove, Montini HS); Russ Koper (Bartlett HS); Cory Lapinski (Niles, Maine East HS); Brian McCabe (Cary, Cary-Grove HS); Tod Moore (St. Charles, East HS); John Wantiez (Oak Lawn, St. Rita HS).
SOPHOMORES – Mike Berry (Crystal Lake, Prairie Ridge HS); Josh Bidzinski (Belvidere, Rockford Boylan HS); Robert Inzinga (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS); Patrick McWilliams (Naperville, North HS); Travis Myers (Lake Forest HS); Eric Sander (Morton Grove, Niles Notre Dame HS).
FRESHMEN – Ricky Angel (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS); Nate Just (Rock Island, Alleman HS); Sean Milligan (St. Charles, North HS); Nate Rittenberry (Gurnee, Carmel HS); Billy Spieth (Homewood, Homewood-Flossmoor HS).
