By WJBC Staff
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Three Illinois Wesleyan players earned first team honors and four more were chosen to the second team as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin announced its all-conference baseball team on Monday, May 11, as voted on by the CCIW’s head baseball coaches.
Named to the first team were sophomore catcher Pat Mollo (Naperville, Ill./North HS), senior infielder Derek Idstein (Grayslake, Ill./Central HS) and senior pitcher John Munyon (St. Charles, Ill./North HS), while chosen for the second team were sophomore shortstop Jarrod Juskiewicz (Palatine, Ill./HS), junior first baseman Matthew Mardis (Bloomington, Ill./HS), senior outfielder Tim Coonan (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic HS) and senior pitcher Matt Hart (Wheeling, Ill./HS).
Mollo was seventh in the CCIW with a .383 batting average and was tied for the league lead with five home runs. He had nine doubles and his .679 slugging percentage was the best in the conference.
Idstein batted .322 with eight doubles, one home run and 15 runs batted in. He was tied with Mollo for third in the CCIW with 20 runs scored.
Munyon was a first team all-conference choice and CCIW “Pitcher of the Year” in 2013 and a second team all-CCIW selection last year. This spring he tied for third in the league with 39 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings. He had a 3-1 record in league play with a 2.34 earned run average, fifth best in the CCIW.
Juskiewicz was eighth in the CCIW with a .372 batting mark. He finished with eight doubles, a triple, a homer and 13 RBI.
Mardis hit .337 against the league with six doubles and 16 runs knocked in and Coonan batted .329 with three doubles, 13 RBI and tied for the conference lead with three triples.
Hart was 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA against CCIW foes. He had 32 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings.
The Titans’ season ended with a 27-16 overall record and a 12-9 conference mark. After losing to Carthage in the CCIW tournament championship game on Sunday, IWU was not selected on Monday for an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III championship tournament, snapping a five-year string of appearances for IWU teams.
Carthage’s Jared Helmich, a first team utility player, earned CCIW “Player of the Year” honors after hitting .357 (30-84) with 18 runs, 16 RBI, three doubles and five home runs in 21 conference games this season. He was also 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five conference appearances.
North Central’s Bryan Polowy was named the CCIW “Pitcher of the Year” after finishing 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA and 39 strikeouts in six conference appearances. He is the first player from North Central to be honored with this award, which began in 2006.
North Central outfielder Bobby Smith was named the CCIW “Newcomer of the Year” after he batted .392 (29-74) with 19 runs, three doubles, three triples, two home runs and 22 RBI in 21 conference games.
Wheaton’s Matt Husted earned CCIW “Coach of the Year” honors after leading the Thunder to a second place finish and an appearance in the CCIW Baseball Tournament this season.
