For Mount Vernon Nazarene College junior pitcher Andy Heimbach, the 1999 season has been one that he will not soon forget.
The right-hander from Wheelersburg, Ohio, has been honored as the NAIA National Player of the Year and was selected in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball draft on Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox.
Now, Heimbach, who was an All-Ohioan at Wheelersburg High School, has received another honor the endorses the type of well-rounded student-athlete that he is. Heimbach was named to the GTE Academic All-America® Second Team in the College Division, becoming the ninth MVNC athlete to receive this high award and the third baseball player.
Heimbach posted a 13-2 record with a 1.54 earned run average in 1999. In 93 1/3 innings of work, he struck out a school-record 141 batters and issued just 16 walks. He also posted a school-record six shutouts to increase his career total to 16 shutouts - making him the all-time leader in college baseball history in that category.
Besides his outstanding performances on the baseball diamond, Heimbach has also excelled in his efforts in the classroom. A Social Studies major, he has compiled a 3.29 grade point average and been named to the MVNC Dean’s List (3.50 or higher) two semesters.
The GTE Academic All-America Teams® are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The College Division teams consist of players from NCAA Division II and III and NAIA schools.