14 June 2001
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206 or head coach Dennis Martel, (309) 556-3335

Gilfillan, Schilsky Honored by Titan Baseball Team

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Ryan Gilfillan has been named "Most Valuable Player" while Steve Schilsky was chosen as "Most Valuable Pitcher" for the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team.

The Titans, who finished with a 37-15-1 record and won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship, won the NCAA Central regional and played for the first time in IWU history in the Division III College World Series. The Titans were ranked No. 8 in the final American Baseball Coaches Association Division III poll.

Gilfillan, a sophomore second baseman from Peoria (Notre Dame HS), batted a team-high .397 and set new IWU single-season records this spring in hits (71), doubles (20), walks (31), games played (53), and at bats (179).

Schilsky, a sophomore from Springfield (Sacred Heart Griffin HS), was also named the "Most Improved Player" on the team. He logged a record of 8-3 with a 1.82 earned run average. He struck out a single-season school record 107 batters and walked only 26 in 74.3 innings.

Both players were selected to the first team of the all-Central Region squad, were first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selections, and were named to the Central Regional all-tournament team. Schilsky was the CCIW "Player of the Year" and was a second team Division III All-American while Gilfillan was a third team All-American.

Schilsky, who plays first base when not pitching, batted .241 with a team-high six home runs and batted in 24 runs.

For the second straight year, senior catcher Chad Rock (Roberts, Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS) was tabbed "Best Defensive Player" while freshman designated hitter Kevin Morris (Ridgewood HS) earned the "Top Newcomer" honor.

Rock, who was third on the team with a .293 batting average, committed only five errors in 359 chances for a .986 fielding mark and had 36 assists as the Titans' backstop.

Morris gave an offensive boost to the Titans with a .277 average. He had nine doubles, two homers, and was tied for second on the team with 30 RBI.

For the second consecutive season, sophomore infielder/catcher Kent Devine (Oak Forest HS) earned the annual "Titan Award," which is given for hustle and competitive attitude.

Senior righthanded pitcher Adam Palmer (Naperville, North HS) became the all-time leader in wins in IWU history with a 24-15 career record. He is also the school's all-time leader with 290 innings pitched and with eight shutouts, and is second in appearances (with 51) and strikeouts (212).

This season Palmer was 8-4 with a 4.21 earned run average. He struck out 57 in 87.7 innings.

Senior rightfielder Haneef Omar (Rockford, Guilford HS) ended his career No. 13 all-time at IWU with 101 runs scored and is fifth with 152 games played. Omar batted .282, fourth on the team this spring, with 38 runs scored and 22 runs batted in.

Head coach Dennis Martel, whose 14-year record is 336-224-3 (.599 winning percentage), awarded letters to 23 players. They are, with hometowns and high schools:

SENIORS - Tony Merritt (Decatur, MacArthur HS); Haneef Omar (Rockford, Guilford HS); Adam Palmer (Naperville, North HS); Chad Rock (Roberts, Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS), Josh Ward (Lindenhurst, Carmel HS).

JUNIORS - Justin Cripe (Crystal Lake, South HS); Nate Kren (Joliet, Catholic HS); Ben Pasulka (Chicago, Loyola Academy).

SOPHOMORES - Kory Blumer (Farmer City, Blue Ridge HS); Steve Brook (Chicago Heights, Homewood-Flossmoor HS); Kent Devine (Oak Forest HS), Ryan Gilfillan (Peoria, Notre Dame HS); Jeremy Hunt (Champaign, Centennial HS); Chris Kaufman (Normal, West HS); Mike Mazzone (Carol Stream, Glenbard North HS); Scott Schiller (McHenry, Johnsburg HS); Steve Schilsky (Springfield, Sacred Heart Griffin); Eric Zier (Lockport HS).

FRESHMEN - Rich Berthold (Elk Grove, Conant HS); Rob Blumberg (Freeburg HS); Andy Brandt (Atlanta, Stanford Olympia HS); Shawn McGuire (Forrest, Prairie Central HS); Kevin Morris (Ridgewood HS).