BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin-Wallace College legendary Head Baseball Coach Bob Fisher announced the 2010 team award winners for his last season on the bench. Fisher is retiring after 42 seasons and 700 victories.
The 2010 Yellow Jacket award winners are freshman centerfielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria), senior pitchersScott Luthman (Celina) and Justin Novak (Strongsville), senior first baseman Chris Nealon (Avon Lake), junior first baseman Joe Wickens (Wooster/ Senior) and sophomore catcher Jordan Barnett (Willard).
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Neuschaefer was named Outstanding Freshman and earned the Gold Glove Award. He batted .333 with 43 hits and an on-base percentage of .428 in 33 games from the leadoff spot. He led the team with 44 runs scored, four triples and 13 stolen bases. Defensively, Neuschaefer was outstanding with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 88 chances. He also led the outfield with 85 putouts, adding three assists, and was on the front end of three double plays.
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Luthman was the co-recipient of the Outstanding Pitcher Award. He made 10 appearances, including eight starting assignments with three complete games. Luthman led the staff with a 4.45 earned run average and compiled a 4-3 record. He struck out 37 opposing batters and walked just 12 in 54 and two-thirds innings pitched. For his career, Luthman finished with a 9-9 record in 34 appearances.
Novak was the other recipient of the Outstanding Pitcher Award and also received the Guy Fisher Award for Academic Excellence for the second time. Novak finished his final season with a 4-4 record in nine appearances, all starts, with six complete games and a team-leading 59 innings on the hill. Novak finished second in Division III by walking just four batters.
The senior captain earned the Leadership Award at the Student-Athlete Awards Dinner and was named a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV player. In the classroom Novak excelled, posting a 4.0 grade point average for the fall semester with a 4.0 in MBA courses, and a 3.846 in the spring semester with a 3.889 in MBA work. He finished the year with a 3.935 GPA and earned Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors for the second straight year. Novak finished his career with a 9-10 record in 34 appearances.
Nealon was awarded the Big Stick Award for his hitting exploits. The senior led the team with a .390 batting average and a .545 slugging percentage. Nealon had 48 hits, 10 doubles, three homeruns and 29 runs batted-in. He also had a .436 on-base percentage and had the lowest strikeout percentage of anyone on the team. He finished his career with a remarkable .391 batting average.
Wickens and Barnett were the co-winners of the Yellow Jacket Award. It is given annually to the exemplary baseball student-athlete who "demonstrated a year-round dedication to baseball and to the team, as well as the positive attitude toward the game, his teammates, along with a work ethic and a style of unselfish play and leadership, that, if emulated by anyone, would make for a better player and a better teammate."
FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
