Eleven KWU Baseball players named All-KCAC
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Brandon Mathes was named the KCAC Player of the Year in 2008

Dave Dawson was named KCAC Coach of the Year for leading the Coyotes to the 2008 KCAC Championships

Kansas Wesleyan placed 11 players on the 2008 KCAC All Conference Baseball team as announced by the KCAC Sports Information Office.

Headlining the list is Brandon Mathes, who was named KCAC Player of the Year, while Coyote head coach Dave Dawson was named KCAC Coach of the Year.

Wesleyan had four First Team Selections in Mathes, Casey Barnes, Shaun Sumter and Russell Skeete.

Mathes, a junior outfielder/pitcher from Mustang, Okla., was named as the KCAC Player of the Year in addition to being named First Team All-KCAC. He batted .401 for the Coyotes in 43 games, collecting a team best 55 hits in 137 at bats, and had a team best 15 stolen bases. On the hill, Mathes was 1-3 with a 4.44 ERA. He started three games and appeared in ten, while recording two saves. His best pitching performance was on April 21, when he tossed a two-hit complete game shut out of Ottawa in a 10-0 win.

Sumter

Barnes

Barnes, a sophomore pitcher from Chandler, Ariz., also received First Team All-KCAC honors after receiving Second Team All-KCAC honors as a freshman last season. Barnes is 7-2 in 13 games for the Coyotes this season with a 2.51 ERA. In 71.2 innings of work, Barnes has tossed seven complete games including three shutouts. He has 64 strikeouts and only 13 walks, while opposing batters are hitting only .234 against him.

Sumter, a senior pitcher from Oolagah, Okla., was named First Team All-KCAC this season. In 77 innings pitched, Sumter has struck out 69 batters, while allowing just 13 walks. He is 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA, while tossing seven complete games and recording two shutouts. Opposing batters are hitting just .241 against Sumter this season.

Skeete

Skeete, a junior designated hitter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hit .258 in 40 games this season with 32 hits, including 10 ten doubles and three home runs. He also had 28 RBIs on the season, second best among Wesleyan players.

Dawson is in his third year with the Coyotes, leading Wesleyan to its first KCAC Championship since the 2001 season, completing the regular season with a 30-16 mark overall and a 16-8 mark in KCAC play. Since he took over in 2006, Wesleyan has improved each season, going from 17-33-1 his first year to 26-24 last season to 30-16 so far this year. He is 73-73-1 in his three years leading the Coyotes.

Three KWU players received KCAC Gold Gloves led by second baseman Dusty Romero, who received his second straight gold glove. The Gold Glove award is in its second year and is sponsored by Rawlings.

Romero, a second baseman from Las Vegas, Nev., earned his second straight KCAC Gold Glove in 2008. Romero finished the regular season with a superb effort in the field. In 157 chances in the field, he had just nine errors for a .943 fielding percentage. He also was involved in 15 of Wesleyan’s 20 double plays. Offensively, Romero hit .276 with 29 hits and had 16 RBIs. He also received Second Team All-KCAC honors at second base.

Darell Grames, a junior outfielder from Red Bluff, Calif., earned his first KCAC Gold Glove in the outfield in 2008. He had zero errors in 76 chances in the field. Offensively, Grames hit .340 with 49 hits, which included 12 doubles from the lead off spot for the Coyotes this season. Grames also received Second Team All-KCAC honors in the outfield this season.

Kyle Hook, a junior catcher from Mesa, Ariz., earned the KCAC Gold Glove at catcher. In 212 chances this season, Hook only had four errors for a .981 fielding percentage. Hook also threw out eight of 19 potential base stealers. Offensively, Hook hit .300 with 27 hits. He also earned Second Team All-KCAC honors.

Wesleyan had two other players earn Second Team All-KCAC honors in Ronny Romo and Jeremy New.

Romo earned Second Team honors at infield, while New received the honor as relief pitcher. Romo hit .355 this season with 44 hits, including eight doubles and two home runs. New has a 4.98 ERA in 14 appearances with a 4-1 record and one save.

Two KWU players also earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC honors in Mike Pettibone and Brian Dobyns. Pettibone is batting .299 this season with 44 hits, including a team best 13 doubles. He also has a team best 32 RBIs. Dobyns made ten appearances on the mound for the Coyotes, including five starts, while recording a 4-2 record and a 5.01 ERA.

Kansas Wesleyan is the no.2 seed in the NAIA Region IV Baseball Tournament which begins on Wednesday in Hutchinson. They play no.5 seeded York College at 2:30 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.

-- KWU SI --