University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Announces Team Awards
6/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team announced its 2010 team awards at the annual team banquet on Tuesday, June 1. The Golden Gophers gave out eight awards, including the Richard “Chief” Siebert Most Valuable Player, the Dianne Olson-Ficenko Dugout Club Player of the Year, the Paul Molitor Batting Champion, the Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year, the Paul Fortin Scholarship/Athlete Award, the George Thomas Most Improved Player Award, the David Chelesnik Scholarship Award and the Teammate of the Year Award.
Sophomore first baseman Nick O'Shea, who was named First-Team All-Big Ten last week, claimed the Richard "Chief" Siebert Most Valuable Player O'Shea enters the NCAA Tournament batting .339 with a team-high 13 homers, a team-best 59 RBI, 40 runs and a team-high 81 hits. He is fifth in the Big Ten in hits, third in total bases (138), seventh in doubles (18), eighth in slugging percentage (.577), third in RBI and four in home runs.
In his first two seasons with the program, he has 24 home runs and 103 RBI. This season in conference play, O'Shea finished first in RBI (33), fourth in home run (7), fifth in total bases (67), eighth in slugging percentage (.670) and tied for 10th in doubles (8).
Senior catcher Kyle Knudson won the Dianne Olson-Ficenko Dugout Club Player of the Year and the David Chelesnik Scholarship Award. The David Chelesnik award is presented to an athlete who best demonstrates the special qualities of courage, determination and perseverance that were exhibited by David Chelesnik. The special scholarship is given in memory of an outstanding student-athlete who died of bone cancer on Labor Day, 1984, after completing one year of a lifelong dream - to play for the Golden Gophers.
Knudson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, May 29. He was also named First-Team All-Big Ten last week. Knudson enters the NCAA Tournament batting .333 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 34 runs and 17 doubles. He is currently tied for 10th in doubles in Big Ten play, and has thrown out 13 of 32 runners that have attempted to steal against him.
Knudson efficiently managed a pitching staff that led the Big Ten in conference ERA for the first time since 2000, and also led Big Ten in overall ERA. In conference play, Knudson batted .365 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 22 runs. He finished tied for ninth in conference play in runs (22), tied for seventh in doubles (8), seventh in total bases (59), eighth in slugging percentage (.649), ninth in RBI (23) and tied for seventh in home runs (5).
Junior Michael Kvasnicka received the Paul Molitor Batting Champion honor, which goes to the Gopher with the highest batting average. Kvasnicka enters the NCAA Tournament batting .350 with 49 runs, seven home runs, 46 RBI, 46 walks and a .462 on-base percentage. He is currently eighth in the Big Ten in total bases (127), second in doubles (23), first in walks, ninth in slugging percentage (.562) and second in on-base percentage.
Coming into the week, Kvasnicka had reached base in 57 of the 58 games played this year. Kvasnicka, who was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten outfielder, he tied for second in walks (18) in conference play, tied for third in runs scored (26), tied for fifth in doubles (9) and was fifth in on-base percentage (.462). He batted .364 with 26 runs and 23 RBI in Big Ten play.
The coaching staff decided to uniformly named the entire pitching staff the Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year. Minnesota's pitching staff led the Big Ten in ERA and was second in opposing batting average. They had four members named to the All-Big Ten team, as Phil Isaksson and Seth Rosin were named to the Second-Team, and Scott Matyas and TJ Oakes were named to the Third-Team.
Minnesota's pitching staff also led the conference in Big Ten ERA for the first time since 2000. Brooks Albrecht received the Paul Fortin Scholarship/Athlete Award. Albrecht, who is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, played in 34 games for the Golden Gophers this year. He is graduating this year and will forego his last season of eligibility with the Golden Gophers. Albrecht batted .300 in Big Ten play in 13 games this season.
The George Thomas Most Improved Player Award was given to Isaksson. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Isaksson is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA, 57 strikeouts in 82.0 innings and a .236 opposing batting average. Entering the 2010 season, he had a career record of 0-2 with a 6.33 ERA. Isaksson second in the Big Ten in opposing batting average and fourth ERA.
In conference play, Isaksson finished fifth in ERA (3.28), fourth in opponent batting average (.257) and 10th innings pitched (49.1). He also pitched 7.1 innings, gave up five hits, one run, walked two and struck out five to get the win in the Big Ten Championship game against Iowa. For that effort, he received Big Ten All-Tournament honors.
Minnesota awarded the Teammate of the Year Award for the sixth year, given to the players whose attitude and actions most represent that team philosophy of the Golden Gophers program. This year two recipients received the honors, as juniors Tim Ryan (Eagan, Minn.) and Drew Hanish (McKinney, Texas) claimed the honors.
Ryan made 16 appearances for the Golden Gophers, and collected a save for Minnesota. In conference play, he had a 3.00 ERA for the Golden Gophers. Over the past two seasons, Ryan has appeared in 32 games for Minnesota.
Hanish played in 18 games, and batted .348 for Minnesota in 23 at-bats on the season. He made a key start at second base against Northwestern and went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI to play a big role in a game that saw Minnesota snap its longest losing streak of the season at seven.
Sophomore first baseman Nick O'Shea, who was named First-Team All-Big Ten last week, claimed the Richard "Chief" Siebert Most Valuable Player O'Shea enters the NCAA Tournament batting .339 with a team-high 13 homers, a team-best 59 RBI, 40 runs and a team-high 81 hits. He is fifth in the Big Ten in hits, third in total bases (138), seventh in doubles (18), eighth in slugging percentage (.577), third in RBI and four in home runs.
In his first two seasons with the program, he has 24 home runs and 103 RBI. This season in conference play, O'Shea finished first in RBI (33), fourth in home run (7), fifth in total bases (67), eighth in slugging percentage (.670) and tied for 10th in doubles (8).
Senior catcher Kyle Knudson won the Dianne Olson-Ficenko Dugout Club Player of the Year and the David Chelesnik Scholarship Award. The David Chelesnik award is presented to an athlete who best demonstrates the special qualities of courage, determination and perseverance that were exhibited by David Chelesnik. The special scholarship is given in memory of an outstanding student-athlete who died of bone cancer on Labor Day, 1984, after completing one year of a lifelong dream - to play for the Golden Gophers.
Knudson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, May 29. He was also named First-Team All-Big Ten last week. Knudson enters the NCAA Tournament batting .333 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 34 runs and 17 doubles. He is currently tied for 10th in doubles in Big Ten play, and has thrown out 13 of 32 runners that have attempted to steal against him.
Knudson efficiently managed a pitching staff that led the Big Ten in conference ERA for the first time since 2000, and also led Big Ten in overall ERA. In conference play, Knudson batted .365 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 22 runs. He finished tied for ninth in conference play in runs (22), tied for seventh in doubles (8), seventh in total bases (59), eighth in slugging percentage (.649), ninth in RBI (23) and tied for seventh in home runs (5).
Junior Michael Kvasnicka received the Paul Molitor Batting Champion honor, which goes to the Gopher with the highest batting average. Kvasnicka enters the NCAA Tournament batting .350 with 49 runs, seven home runs, 46 RBI, 46 walks and a .462 on-base percentage. He is currently eighth in the Big Ten in total bases (127), second in doubles (23), first in walks, ninth in slugging percentage (.562) and second in on-base percentage.
Coming into the week, Kvasnicka had reached base in 57 of the 58 games played this year. Kvasnicka, who was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten outfielder, he tied for second in walks (18) in conference play, tied for third in runs scored (26), tied for fifth in doubles (9) and was fifth in on-base percentage (.462). He batted .364 with 26 runs and 23 RBI in Big Ten play.
The coaching staff decided to uniformly named the entire pitching staff the Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year. Minnesota's pitching staff led the Big Ten in ERA and was second in opposing batting average. They had four members named to the All-Big Ten team, as Phil Isaksson and Seth Rosin were named to the Second-Team, and Scott Matyas and TJ Oakes were named to the Third-Team.
Minnesota's pitching staff also led the conference in Big Ten ERA for the first time since 2000. Brooks Albrecht received the Paul Fortin Scholarship/Athlete Award. Albrecht, who is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, played in 34 games for the Golden Gophers this year. He is graduating this year and will forego his last season of eligibility with the Golden Gophers. Albrecht batted .300 in Big Ten play in 13 games this season.
The George Thomas Most Improved Player Award was given to Isaksson. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Isaksson is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA, 57 strikeouts in 82.0 innings and a .236 opposing batting average. Entering the 2010 season, he had a career record of 0-2 with a 6.33 ERA. Isaksson second in the Big Ten in opposing batting average and fourth ERA.
In conference play, Isaksson finished fifth in ERA (3.28), fourth in opponent batting average (.257) and 10th innings pitched (49.1). He also pitched 7.1 innings, gave up five hits, one run, walked two and struck out five to get the win in the Big Ten Championship game against Iowa. For that effort, he received Big Ten All-Tournament honors.
Minnesota awarded the Teammate of the Year Award for the sixth year, given to the players whose attitude and actions most represent that team philosophy of the Golden Gophers program. This year two recipients received the honors, as juniors Tim Ryan (Eagan, Minn.) and Drew Hanish (McKinney, Texas) claimed the honors.
Ryan made 16 appearances for the Golden Gophers, and collected a save for Minnesota. In conference play, he had a 3.00 ERA for the Golden Gophers. Over the past two seasons, Ryan has appeared in 32 games for Minnesota.
Hanish played in 18 games, and batted .348 for Minnesota in 23 at-bats on the season. He made a key start at second base against Northwestern and went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI to play a big role in a game that saw Minnesota snap its longest losing streak of the season at seven.
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