Wichita State's Logan Sorensen and Brandon Green have been named 2004 Joe Carter Missouri Valley Conference Co-Baseball Players of the Year, as voted on the by the league coaches. In addition to the honors for the Shocker duo, WSU's Mike Pelfrey was voted Pitcher of the Year. Other specialty awards go to Cody Strait of Evansville, the 2004 Valley Newcomer of the Year and Brett Sinkbeil of Southwest Missouri State, the 2004 Valley Freshman of the Year.
Sorensen and Green have led the regular-season conference champion Wichita State to a Valley record 28 conference wins this season as Green leads the league with a .412 batting average. Both were also honored on the all-conference first team; Sorensen for his play at first base and Green at third.
Pelfrey was a runaway favorite for pitcher of the year as the sophomore from Wichita posts a 10-1 record this season and has 104 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched. While he only has one loss on the season, he is a perfect 8-0 in conference games and is a two-time Valley Pitcher of the Week this year.
Strait, a junior from Sour Lake, Texas, ranks fourth in the league in runs scored with 51 and is batting .354 through the regular season. Picked Valley Player of the Week after his first weekend of competition in the league, Strait is the first player from Evansville to receive the Newcomer of the Year award and was also selected to the all-conference first team.
Sinkbeil, a freshman from Sand Springs, Okla., has a 3.28 earned run average, which ranks seventh in the league. He has a 6-1 record in conference games and helped the Southwest Missouri State Bears to a 19-12 Valley mark while earning first-team all-conference honors as a starting pitcher.
Three other Shockers were honored on the first team. Drew Moffitt, who leads the league with 21 home runs, Nick Blasi, the reigning Valley Player of the Week; and Tommy Hottovy, the reigning Valley Pitcher of the Week, were also honored, while a total of eight WSU Shockers made the first or second team.
Tony Roth and Steve Grasley of the Creighton Bluejays were also named to the 2004 Valley All-Conference First Team. Roth was named at the second base position while Grasley's switch from relief to starter proved successful as he was picked in a starting role. Grasley's a three-time Valley Pitcher of the Week and currently holds an 11-4 win-loss mark.
Rounding out the first team are shortstop Brooks Colvin and catcher Jud Kindle of SMS; designated hitter Pat Tumilty of Evansville; and utility Nathan Emrick and relief pitcher Andrew Weber of Southern Illinois.
Featured on the second team is first baseman Erik Lis of Evansville; Shawn Smarsh of Wichita State; shortstop Brad Dutton of Creighton; third baseman Nathan Boldt of Southern Illinois; catcher Brad Canada of Bradley; designated hitter Marcus Artner of Indiana State; utility Ryan Curry of Bradley and outfielder Rene Aqueron of Bradley; outfielder Jake Manning of SMS; outfielder Dan Norquist of Creighton; starting pitcher Eric Haberer of Southern Illinois; starting pitcher Paul Marsala of SMS; starting pitcher Steve Uhlmansiek of Wichita State; relief pitcher Eric DeJong of UNI and relief pitcher Brian Omogrosso of Indiana State.
Fifteen student-athletes were also named to the all-conference honorable mention squad. Student-athletes must receive at least two all-conference votes to be named as honorable mention.
2004 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball First Team
1B, Logan Sorensen, Wichita State
2B, Tony Roth, Creighton
SS, Brooks Colvin, Southwest Missouri State
3B, Brandon Green, Wichita State
C, Jud Kindle, Southwest Missouri State
DH, Pat Tumilty, Evansville
UT, Nathan Emrick, Southern Illinois
OF, Drew Moffitt, Wichita State
OF, Nick Blasi, Wichita State
OF, Cody Strait, Evansville
SP, Steve Grasley, Creighton
SP, Mike Pelfrey, Wichita State
SP, Brett Sinkbeil, Southwest Missouri State
RP, Tommy Hottovy, Wichita State
RP, Andrew Weber, Southern Illinois
2004 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Second Team
1B, Erik Lis, Evansville
2B, Shawn Smarsh, Wichita State
SS, Brad Dutton, Creighton
3B, Nathan Boldt, Southern Illinois
C, Brad Canada, Bradley
DH, Marcus Artner, Indiana State
UT, Ryan Curry, Bradley
OF, Rene Aqueron, Bradley
OF, Jake Manning, Southwest Missouri State
OF, Dan Norquist, Creighton
SP, Eric Haberer, Southern Illinois
SP, Paul Marsala, Southwest Missouri State
SP, Steve Uhlmansiek, Wichita State
RP, Eric DeJong, UNI
RP, Brian Omogrosso, Indiana State
2004 Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention
Creighton -- SP Eric Wordekemper
Evansville - 2B Kyle Smith
Illinois State -- OF Nate Whitney; RP Kyle Zaleski
Indiana State -- SS Josh Prickett; UT Ryan Bond; SP Matt Zaleski
Northern Iowa -- 2B Pat Moran; 3B Dan Grant; 1B Sean LaCoste; OF Armando Lara
Southern Illinois -- OF Cory Newman; SP Jason Chavez
Southwest Missouri State -- OF Chris Taylor
Wichita State -- DH Mark Johnson
Joe Carter/Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year
Co-MVP Logan Sorensen, Wichita State
Co-MVP Brandon Green, Wichita State
Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year
Mike Pelfrey, Wichita State
Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year
Cody Strait, Evansville
Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year
Brett Sinkbeil, Southwest Missouri State