News

Justin Clarey	Dan Matheney
Adam Rowe	Jason Irish
Chris McKinney	Steve Edwards
Nick Schwartz	Kyle Peters

Justin Clarey, a senior catcher from Columbus, Ohio, who was selected as the NCCAA East Region Player of the Year, was named to the NCCAA All-American First Team. The former Hilliard Darby High School star is tied for the team lead with seven home runs and 47 RBI. Clarey is batting .429 with 14 doubles, three triples, and 21 runs scored. He has also thrown out 22 of the 41 runners who have tried to steal on him.

Dan Matheney, a senior second baseman from New Concord, Ohio, joined Clarey on the NCCAA All-American First Team. The former John Glenn High School product leads the Cougars with a .455 batting average and 86 hits, and he has also compiled 10 doubles, one triple, 28 RBI, and 40 runs scored. Matheney was also named to the NCCAA All-National Tournament Team and was selected as an NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete.

In addition to Clarey and Matheney, six other MVNU players earned NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American status.

Adam Rowe, a senior left-handed pitcher from Wooster, Ohio, who was named as the NCCAA East Region Pitcher of the Year, leads the Cougars with a 10-1 record on the mound. The former Wooster High School standout has posted a 3.14 earned run average. In 86 innings of work, Rowe has struck out 90 batters and issued just 28 walks.

Jason Irish, a senior outfielder/pitcher from Cortland, Ohio, who is batting .392, leads the team with 15 doubles, and shares the team lead with seven home runs and 47 RBI. The former Lakeview High School star has also registered one triple and 42 runs scored. On the mound, Irish has posted a 7-3 record with a 3.33 ERA.

Chris McKinney, a junior shortstop from Johnstown, Ohio, is batting .330 with seven doubles, three home runs, 37 runs scored, and 42 RBI. The former New Albany High School graduate has committed just 10 errors at shortstop this year in 219 chances.

Steve Edwards, a junior outfielder from Grove City, Ohio, is batting .349 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 32 RBI, and 32 runs scored. The former Grove City High School standout has committed just one error in 78 chances in the outfield, and he has stolen six bases.

Nick Schwartz, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Sunbury, Ohio, has posted an 8-5 record on the mound with a team-best 2.76 ERA. In 88 innings of work, the former Big Walnut High School star has struck out 88 batters and issued just 21 walks.

Kyle Peters, a sophomore third baseman from Mason, Ohio, rounded out the NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American selections for MVNU. The former Mason High School product is batting .337 with three doubles, one triple, 25 RBI, and a team-high 50 runs scored.

The Cougars are currently 39-17 overall and finished fifth out of 10 teams at the NCCAA National Tournament in Celina, Ohio, with the team’s two losses coming by one run each to Dallas Baptist (Texas) University, the eventual champion, and Palm Beach Atlantic (Fla.) University, the eventual runner-up.

MVNU will make its second ever appearance in the NAIA World Series later this week when the team travels to Lewiston, Idaho. The Cougars are seeded sixth in the 10-team double elimination tournament and will face third-seeded Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) College, the host school and 13-time NAIA national champion, in their first game on Friday at 10:30 p.m. EST. Each of the team’s NAIA World Series games can be heard live on WNZR 90.9 FM and through the internet at www.mvnu.edu/wnzr/sportswebcast.html .