"Nine Cougars Earn American Mideast Conference Honors"

written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director

Mike Waddell	Mark Coulter	Justin Clarey

Jason Hall	Jeff Wine	Adam Rowe

Scott Crawford	Joel Laslo	Josh Sichina

   Nine members of the Mount Vernon Nazarene College baseball team were recently honored when the American Mideast Conference awards were announced at the annual coaches' meeting.

   Mike Waddell, Mark Coulter, and Justin Clarey were each named to the AMC First Team, while Jason Hall, Jeff Wine, and Adam Rowe made the AMC Second Team. Scott Crawford, Joel Laslo, and Josh Sichina were also AMC Honorable Mention selections.

   Waddell, a senior outfielder/pitcher from Cardington, Ohio, has posted a .444 batting average with a team-high 71 hits, 20 doubles, 12 home runs, and 59 runs batted in. The former Cardington-Lincoln High School standout has also compiled a 6-1 record on the mound.

   Coulter, a junior pitcher/first baseman from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, has an 8-3 record with a 3.74 earned run average on the mound. The former Lewistown Area High School product is also batting .375 with 10 home runs and 51 RBI.

   Clarey, a freshman catcher from Columbus, Ohio, has started 44 of the team's 49 games so far this season. The former Hilliard Darby High School star is batting .386 with six doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 31 RBI.

   Hall, a senior second baseman from Mount Vernon, Ohio, has posted a .364 batting average with 28 RBI and 51 runs scored. The Mount Vernon High School graduate has also committed just three errors in 183 fielding attempts.

   Wine, a senior outfielder from Bourbonnais, Illinois, is currently batting .387 with 11 doubles, five home runs, 36 RBI, and team-highs of 53 runs scored and eight triples. The former Bradley-Bourbonnais High School standout has also stolen 11 bases this season.

   Rowe, a freshman pitcher from Wooster, Ohio, has posted an 8-3 record on the mound in his first collegiate season. The former Wooster High School product leads the team with a 3.33 ERA. He has also recorded 51 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings of work.

   Crawford, a junior shortstop from Waldo, Ohio, has recorded a .473 batting average in 24 games this season. The former River Valley High School star has compiled five triples, five home runs, 30 RBI, and 34 runs scored despite missing half the season due to a knee injury.

   Laslo, a senior outfielder from Mount Vernon, Ohio, is batting .333 with five doubles, four triples, and three home runs. The Mount Vernon High School graduate has also recorded 26 RBI and 24 runs scored.

   Sichina, a sophomore third baseman from Byesville, Ohio, has posted a .331 batting average with seven doubles and four home runs. The former Meadowbrook High School standout has also compiled 26 RBI and 32 runs scored.

   MVNC is currently 34-15 overall. The Cougars, who finished second in the AMC with a 16-6 conference mark, will return to action on Wednesday night in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament in Celina, Ohio.