MIAA Announces 2011 All-Conference Baseball Team - KOAM TV 7

MIAA Announces 2011 All-Conference Baseball Team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Five members apiece from 2011 MIAA baseball regular season co-champions Central Missouri and Emporia State earned spots on the All-MIAA First Team to headline the all-conference team released Thursday by the league office. The selections were made by the league's 12 head coaches, and coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Central Missouri first baseman Nick DeBiasse was named the MIAA Player of the Year after leading the league in batting average (.471), slugging percentage (.759), RBIs (53), runs scored (61), on-base percentage (.571) and total bases (132). The senior from Lawrence, Kan., earned All-MIAA First Team honors for the second consecutive season, this time as a unanimous selection.

Central Missouri senior Don Lisi is the unanimous MIAA Pitcher of the Year. The Rogers, Ark., product tied for second in the conference with eight wins, tied for sixth with 56 strikeouts and finished 10^th with a 3.93 earned run average. Lisi was also a unanimous choice for All-MIAA First Team.

Nebraska Omaha second baseman Caleb Palensky was selected as the MIAA Freshman of the Year after a season in which he ranked 11^th in the league with a .368 batting average and finished 14^th in the conference with a .435 on-base percentage. The Papillion, Neb., native earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors as well.

Central Missouri head coach Tom Myers was voted as the MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Mules to their ninth MIAA regular season title in the last 12 years and 22nd in school history. It is the second coach of the year honor for Myers as the UCM head coach.

Nebraska Omaha had the second-most first team selections with three, followed by Missouri Southern with one.

2011 ALL-MIAA BASEBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nick DeBiasse, Sr., 1B, Central Missouri

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Don Lisi, Sr., Central Missouri

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Caleb Palensky, 2B, Nebraska Omaha

COACH OF THE YEAR

Tommy Myers, Central Missouri

FIRST TEAM

SP: Don Lisi, Sr., Central Missouri**

SP: Brandon Faulkner, Jr., Emporia State

SP: Joe Holtmeyer, Jr., Nebraska Omaha [r1]

RP: Michael Cotter, Sr., Emporia State

C: David Allbritton, Sr., Emporia State [r1]

1B: Nick DeBiasse, Sr., Central Missouri** [r1]

2B: Tyler Anthony, Sr., Central Missouri

SS: Bret Schwartz, Jr., Central Missouri

3B: Brady Hohl, Jr., Nebraska Omaha**

OF: Dillon Hazlett, Sr., Emporia State**

OF: Jed Hanson, Sr., Nebraska Omaha

OF: Tyler Ruch, Sr., Central Missouri

DH: Joe Vaskas, Jr., Emporia State

UT: Dallas Burke, Jr., Missouri Southern

**Unanimous Selection
[r1] - Repeat first team selection from last season

SECOND TEAM

SP: Ryan Trimble, Jr., Truman

SP: Brett Ash, So., Washburn

SP: Matt Curtis, Sr., Central Missouri

RP: Jayson Huett, Sr., Northwest Missouri

C: Sloan Soulia, Sr., Fort Hays State

1B: Jesse Kinzey, Jr., Missouri Southern

2B: Dane Kolkmeyer, So., Missouri Southern

SS: Andy Cotton, Sr., Emporia State

3B: Kevin Wempe, Sr., Emporia State

OF: Nash Smith, Jr., Fort Hays State

OF: Chris Pfau, Jr., Lincoln

OF: Jon Wegener, Sr., Central Missouri

DH: Ryan Reddick, So., Pittsburg State

UT: Andy Petz, Sr., Washburn

HONORABLE MENTION

Central Missouri: Danny Potje, Sr., SP; Frank Specht, Sr., 3B; Albert Selanders, So., UT.

Emporia State: Jacob White, Sr., 2B.
 
Fort Hays State: Brett Macari, Jr., RP; Kyle Stacken, Sr., 1B; Anthony Salinas, Jr., OF; Brandon Hoefler, Jr., OF; JC Ochoa, Jr., DH.

Lincoln: Gus Durst, Sr., OF; Cedric Belt, Sr., DH.
 
Missouri Southern: Brett Abel, Jr., SP; Cody Griebling, Jr., SP; Patrick Deao, Sr., OF.
 
Missouri Western: Nick Jurado, Jr., SP; Brandon Simmons, So., SP; Tony Loeffler, Jr., C; Spencer Shockley, So., 1B; Ian Atkinson, Sr., 2B; Jason Solma, So., SS; Isaac Rome, Sr., DH.

Nebraska Omaha: Ben Brown, Sr., SP; Caleb Palensky, Fr., 2B.

Northwest Missouri: Alec Rosales, Jr., 2B.
 
Pittsburg State: Taylor Sibala, Sr., 2B; Chase Barnes, Jr., OF.
 
Southwest Baptist: Paden Grubbs, Sr., UT.
 
Truman: Jarrett Eiskina, So., SP; Christian Witt, Sr., RP; Devon Myers, Jr., C; Michael Reese, Sr., OF.
 
Washburn: Dane Simoneau, Sr., SS; Tyler Bean, Jr., 3B; Marcus Peavler, Jr., OF; David Wade, Sr., DH.