"Cougars Receive MOC Baseball Honors"

written by Dave Parsons, Assistant Sports Information Director

   After claiming its fourth straight Mid-Ohio Conference regular-season crown, the Mount Vernon Nazarene College baseball team had its coach and ten of its players honored when the conference coaches selected the 1998 All-MOC teams.

   Head coach Keith Veale was named the MOC Coach of the Year for the third straight year after guiding the Cougars to a 13-3 conference mark in a season when most so-called experts predicted that the team would be down after losing seven starting position players and their top two pitchers to graduation or the major league draft from the team that went 47-8 in 1997.

   Brian Sheets and Chris Iceman were named to the MOC First Team on the infield. Sheets, a sophomore third baseman from Vermilion, Ohio, has posted a .400 batting average with a team-high 14 doubles and 38 runs scored. He has also recorded 52 hits and 34 runs batted in. Iceman, a junior first baseman from Lucas, Ohio, currently has a .406 batting average with 52 hits, three homeruns, and seven doubles.

   Andy Heimbach, Dave Byard, and Jeremiah Armstrong were three of the four pitchers to be named to the MOC First Team. Heimbach, a sophomore from Wheelersburg, Ohio, has notched an 8-2 record with a 2.57 earned run average and a team-high four shutouts. He has also struck out 64 batters. Byard, a sophomore from Byesville, Ohio, is currently 7-2 with a 2.56 ERA. He has tossed two shutouts and fanned 37 strikeouts. Armstrong, a junior from Uhrichsville, Ohio, has compiled an 8-1 record with a 3.88 ERA. He has one shutout and leads the team with 67 strikeouts.

   Chris Stanifer and J.K. Waers were selected to the MOC Second Team by the conference coaches. Stanifer, a junior outfielder from Adrian, Michigan, sports a .343 batting average and leads the team with 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts. Waers, a senior catcher from Byesville, Ohio, has posted a .344 batting average with 11 doubles and five homeruns.

   Sean Barrett, Scott Crawford, and Mike Waddell also received honorable mention for their efforts this season. Barrett, a senior outfielder from Brookville, Ohio, leads the team with eight homeruns while batting .290 with 28 RBI. Crawford, a freshman shortstop from Prospect, Ohio, currently leads the team with 38 RBI and has recorded a .363 batting average with 49 hits. Waddell, a sophomore pitcher/outfielder from Cardington, Ohio, is 5-2 on the mound with a 3.86 ERA. He has also posted a .315 batting average with three homeruns and 28 RBI.