FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big Ten announced on Tuesday the 2013 baseball individual award winners and All-Conference teams. Illinois’ Justin Parr was named Player of the Year and Kevin Duchene earned Freshman of the Year honors, while Indiana’s Aaron Slegers was tabbed Pitcher of the Year and Tracy Smith took home Coach of the Year laurels.
Parr is the eighth Illini to earn Player of the Year honors and the first since Lars Davis in 2007. The senior outfielder, and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, finished the regular season leading the conference in batting average (.415), hits (85), RBI (51) and on-base percentage (.472), while ranking second in slugging (.610) in all games. Parr also earns first-team All-Big Ten recognition.
Slegers is Indiana’s second Pitcher of the Year honoree, following Eric Arnett in 2009. The senior right- hander enters the 2013 Big Ten Tournament tied for the conference lead with eight wins and ranked second with a 1.98 ERA in all games. He finished the Big Ten slate with a 1.82 ERA in 54.1 innings of work, which both rank among the conference’s top five. Slegers is also a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team.
Duchene is the second Illinois player to earn Freshman of the Year honors and first since Bubba Smith in 1989. The left-hander finished the Big Ten slate ranked third in ERA (1.74) and fourth in opponent’s batting average (.218). Duchene is also a unanimous All-Freshman Team pick.
Smith becomes the first Indiana coach since Bob Morgan in 1993 to be named Coach of the Year and second overall. Under his guidance, the Hoosiers were nationally ranked in all major polls for the majority of the season and maintained an RPI among the nation’s top 15. Smith led the Hoosiers to their first outright Big Ten title since 1932, as the squad enters the Big Ten Tournament with a 40-13 record.
Parr and Slegers are joined on the first team by Indiana’s Kyle Schwarber (C) and Ohio State’s Trace Dempsey (RP), who were both tabbed unanimous selections. Also on the first team are Illinois’ David Kerian (1B) and Thomas Lindauer (SS), Indiana’s Dustin DeMuth (3B) and Scott Donley (DH), Michigan’s Michael O’Neill (OF), Minnesota’s DJ Snelten (SP) and Tom Windle (SP), Nebraska’s Chad Christensen (OF) and Pat Kelly (2B) and Ohio State’s Kirby Pellant (SS).
The Big Ten also announced the Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
The complete list of All-Big Ten teams and award winners can be found below.
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM*
C – KYLE SCHWARBER, IND
1B – David Kerian, ILL
2B – Pat Kelly, NEB
SS – Thomas Lindauer, ILL
SS – Kirby Pellant, OSU
3B – Dustin DeMuth, IND
OF – Justin Parr, ILL
OF – Michael O’Neill, MICH
OF – Chad Christensen, NEB
DH – Scott Donley, IND
SP – AARON SLEGERS, IND
SP – DJ Snelten, MINN
SP – Tom Windle, MINN
RP – TRACE DEMPSEY, OSU
ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
C – Kurt Schlangen, MINN
1B – Sam Travis, IND
2B – Zach Morton, NU
3B – Jacob Cronenworth, MICH
OF – Jordan Parr, ILL
OF – Eric Toole, IOWA
OF – Jimmy Pickens, MSU
DH – Michael Pritchard, NEB
SP – Kevin Duchene, ILL
SP – Joey DeNato, IND
SP – Luke Farrell, NU
RP – Scott Effross, IND
ALL-BIG TEN THIRD TEAM
C – Cole Martin, MICH
1B – Kash Kalkowski, NEB
2B – Connor Schaefbauer, MINN
SS – Michael Basil, IND
3B – Blake Headley, NEB
OF – Andy Henkemeyer, MINN
OF – Rich Sanguinetti, NEB
OF – Kyle Ruchim, NU
DH – Blaise Salter, MSU
SP – Andrew Waszak, MSU
SP – Brad Goldberg, OSU
SP – Brian King, OSU
RP – Ryan Halstead, IND
ALL-BIG TEN FRESHMAN TEAM*
C – Jason Goldstein, ILL
1B – JOSH ESTILL, PUR
2B – Nick Ramos, IND
SS – TRAVIS MAEZES, MICH
3B – Jacob Cronenworth, MICH
OF – CAM GIBSON, MSU
OF – JAMES COATES, PSU
OF – Kyle Johnson, PUR
DH – KYLE WOOD, PUR
SP – KEVIN DUCHENE, ILL
SP – Will Coursen-Carr, IND
SP – Evan Hill, MICH
SP – Jordan Minch, PUR
RP – Scott Effross, IND
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Alex Lincoln, ILL
Michael Basil, IND
Ricky Sandquist, IOWA
Patrick Biondi, MICH
Jordan Keur, MSU
Ryan Abrahamson, MINN
Bryan Peters, NEB
Trevor Stevens, NU
Ryan Cypret, OSU
Luis Montesinos, PSU
Robert Ramer, PUR
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Parr, ILL
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Slegers, IND
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Kevin Duchene, ILL
COACH OF THE YEAR
TRACY SMITH, IND
Unanimous honorees in ALL CAPS
*additional honoree due to tie
