2011 Northern Athletics Conference Baseball Weekly Awards

May 9-15

Baseball (pitcher)
Anthony Buonamici, Aurora University
...6-0...Junior...RHP...Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook)...
Buonamici got the start in the NAC Tournament Final against Concordia Chicago and earned the victory in the Spartan's 11-3 win. The right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out two.

Other nominees: none

Baseball (position)
Josh Davidson, Aurora University
...6-2...Junior...OF...Cypress, Calif. (Cypress)...
Davidson was a big factor in AU's tournament title run as he hit .471 (8-of-17) while extending his AU single-season records in singles and stolen bases. He had four RBIs and stole three bases in three attempts during the NAC Tournament.

Other nominees: none

May 2-8

Baseball (pitcher)
Matt Katzman, Lakeland College
...6-0...Senior...RHP...Sauk City, Wis. (Sauk Prairie)...
Katzman had a stellar performance to end his Muskie career, as he tossed a nine-inning complete game shutout against Edgewood. Katzman held the Eagles to a .194 average, as he allowed just six hits on the afternoon while striking out five and didn't allow a walk in his only appearance of the week.

Other nominees: Drew Gay (Aurora), Brenden Schulz (Concordia Chicago), Miles Mayer (Edgewood)

Baseball (position)
Mike Foley, Aurora University
...5-11...Sophomore...UTL...Mokena, Ill. (Joliet Catholic)...
Foley had a nice week at the plate for the Spartans, hitting .565 with two home runs, one triple, two doubles, six runs and 14 RBIs while connecting for a slugging percentage of 1.000.

Other nominees: Cam Stephens (Concordia Chicago), Jake Zadra (Edgewood), Mike Ruzek (Lakeland), Justin Barkhurst (Wisconsin Lutheran)

April 25-May 1

Baseball (pitcher)
Steve Sitterly, Aurora University
...6-1...Junior...RHP...Romeoville, Ill. (Romeoville)...
Sitterly was 2-0 for the Spartans as they went 7-1 on the week. The right-hander defeated Concordia Chicago, 6-0, with a complete-game shutout and then earned the win in AU's 13-11 victory over Benedictine. He had a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings of work with 13 Ks and just three walks.

Other nominees: Kevin Crowley (Benedictine), Anthony Collaro (Concordia Chicago), Blake O'Brien (Edgewood), Andrew Schartner (Lakeland), Dustin Andrus (Marian),

Baseball (position)
Nick Skala, Concordia University Chicago
...6-1...Junior...C...Long Grove, Ill. (St. Viator)...
Skala extended his hitting streak to13 games after a 17-for-28 week (.607) in which the Cougars went 5-2. He cracked two homers in a 12-6 win over Rockford on Sunday, and drove in 11 runs on the week with a .893 slugging percentage and a .643 on-base percentage.

Other nominees: Brett VanAsdlen (Aurora), Dan Zust (Benedictine), Ryan O'Dell (Edgewood), David Novak (Lakeland), Derek Jordan (MSOE), Josh Ferrell (Wisconsin Lutheran)

April 18-24

Baseball (pitcher)
Glenn Nowell, Edgewood College
...6-2...Junior...RHP...Boulder, Colo. (Fairview)...
The junior right-hander earned half of the Eagles' wins last week as he tossed a pair of complete game victories. Against Dominican he struck out nine batters while scattering seven hits in nine innings while only allowing one earned run. Nowell followed that up with nine more innings at Marian, allowing only two earned runs on nine hits. For the week he had an ERA of 1.50 and struck out 15 batters while only walking four and didn't allow and extra base hit all week.

Other nominees: David Nowaczyk (Benedictine), Anthony Collaro (Concordia Chicago), Andrew Mueller (Lakeland), Ryan Jacobson (Rockford)

Baseball (position)
Nick Skala, Concordia University Chicago
...6-1...Junior...C...Long Grove, Ill. (St. Viator)...
Skala batted .500 with 16 RBIs in four games for the Cougars last week. He homered twice in a 15-4 win over Wheaton (Ill.) on April 20. The junior catcher followed that up with a three-run homer and two-run double in the first two innings versus Dominican on Saturday. Last week six of his nine hits went for extra bases, accounting for a slugging percentage of 1.222.

Other nominees: Nick Karakosta (Benedictine), Jake Zadra (Edgewood), David Novak (Lakeland), Kevin Miller (Rockford), Cody Nevils (Wisconsin Lutheran)

April 11-17

Baseball (pitcher)
Anthony Collaro, Concordia University Chicago
...6-2...Senior...RHP...Melrose Park, Ill. (Walther Lutheran)...
Collaro picked up the win with a complete-game seven-inning effort versus Marian on Sunday. He scattered nine hits -- all singles -- in leading CUC to 17-1 victory in game one of the doubleheader. He fanned seven and walked just one in the victory.

Other nominees: David Nowaczyk (Benedictine), Ryan Baglow (Concordia Wisconsin), Kyle Smith (Edgewood), Ben Hansen (MSOE)

Baseball (position)
Tim Mackey, Aurora University
...6-0...Junior...3B...Rosemont, Ill. (East Leyden)...
Mackey hit safely in 7-of-10 at-bats on the week with a double, triple, seven runs scored and drove in four more. With a 1.000 slugging percentage and .769 on-base percentage he was also a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.

Other nominees: Kevin Hendricks (Benedictine), Nick Skala (Concordia Chicago), Derrick Pankow (Concordia Wisconsin), Jake Zadra (Edgewood), Mike Ruzek (Lakeland), Nathan Lyle (Maranatha), Justin Barkhurst (Wisconsin Lutheran)

April 4-10

Baseball (pitcher)
Mitchell Gardner, Marian University
...6-0...Junior...RHP...Sheboygan, Wis. (North)...
Gardner picked up the victory on Saturday versus MSOE giving up just one earned run in seven innings of work, as he struck out seven and walked just one. On Sunday, he came in against Aurora in the ninth and earned a save in Marian's 17-15 victory. He had a 1.23 ERA in his 7 1/3 innings of work last week.

Other nominees: Drew Gay (Aurora), Matt Vucovich (Benedictine), Pat Conlin (Concordia Chicago), Connor Lenz (Edgewood), Matt Katzman (Lakeland), Matt Lang (Wisconsin Lutheran)

Baseball (position)
Anthony Porcaro, Marian University
...5-9...Junior...C...Burlington, Wis. (Burlington)...
Porcaro had a big week helping the Sabres go 5-1 in NAC play. He led Marian in batting average (.714), runs (9), hits (15), doubles (3), total bases (18), slugging percentage (.857), walks (8), on-base percentage (.793) and steals (5). The junior catcher multiple hits in all six games, with three, three-hit games, and three, two-hit games.

Other nominees: Josh Davidson (Aurora), Kevin Hendricks (Benedictine), Cam Stephens (Concordia Chicago), Alex Jaskulski (Edgewood), Mike Ruzek (Lakeland), Wes Stasik (MSOE), Jimmy Dercks (Rockford), Garrick Day (Wisconsin Lutheran)

March 28-April 3

Baseball (pitcher)
Drew Gay, Aurora University
...6-3...Junior...RHP...Marsailles, Ill. (Ottawa-Marquette)...
Gay pitched a complete game in a 5-1 victory over Lakeland on Saturday. He struck out 10 and scattered five hits over 9 innings.

Other nominees: Brenden Schulz (Concordia Chicago), Trevor Koehn (Edgewood), Mitchell Gardner (Marian), Jake Nicholson (Rockford), Matt Lang (Wisconsin Lutheran)

Baseball (position)
Tyler Schoen, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...6-0...Sophomore...UTL...Marion, Wis. (Marion)...
Schoen batted .471 (8-for-17) for the Warriors, who went 4-0 last week. He finished the week with six RBIs, three runs scored and three doubles.

Other nominees: Josh Davidson (Aurora), Nick Karakosta (Benedictine), Eric Ignatowski (Concordia Chicago), Ryan Walker (Edgewood), Andrew Schartner (Lakeland), Kent Lentz (Marian), Ryne Billesbach (Rockford)

March 21-27

Baseball (pitcher)
Alex Raver, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...6-2...Freshman...RHP...Bartlett, Ill. (Bartlett)...
Raver tossed his second complete-game, seven-inning shutout in three starts on Sunday in a 5-0 win over North Central (Minn.). He allowed just two hits while fanning six and walking two.

Other nominees: Nick Czaja (Aurora)

Baseball (position)
Ryan Adams, Aurora University
...6-1...Junior...CF...Geneva, Ill. (Geneva)...
Adams went 3-for-5 in AU's 7-4, 11-inning victory at Augustana (Ill.) on Sunday. He had a triple, scored one run and drove in two more.

Other nominees: Tyler Schoen (Wisconsin Lutheran)

March 14-20

aseball (pitcher)
Alex Raver, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...6-2...Freshman...RHP...Bartlett, Ill. (Bartlett)...
Raver did not allow an earned run in his first two collegiate starts last week for the Warriors. In his first start on Tuesday, Raver struck out 13 batters and allowed just three hits to earn the complete-game victory. He followed up his first performance by fanning six batters in five innings on Saturday. The five runs he allowed were all unearned.

Other nominees: Drew Gay (Aurora), Anthony Collaro (Concordia Chicago)

Baseball (position)
Robert Weis, Concordia University Chicago
...5-10...Sophomore...2B...Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)...
Weis led the Cougars in winning two of three at the Webster University tournament this past weekend. He batted .455 on 5-of-11 with three of his hits going for doubles. Two of his doubles combined to drive in three runs in Sunday's 9-3 win over Franklin. He handled all 14 fielding chances flawlessly (two games at 2B, one at SS).

Other nominees: Ryan O'Dell (Edgewood), Anthony Porcaro (Marian), Justin Barkhurst (Wisconsin Lutheran)

March 7-13

Baseball (pitcher)
Jake Nicholson, Rockford College
...6-2...Junior...RHP...Stillman Valley, Ill. (Stillman Valley)...
Nicholson picked up the win throwing five shutout innings in relief against Western New England College. He pitched from the eighth through the twelfth inning allowing only one hit and striking out four batters.

Other nominees: Micah Buss (Concordia Chicago), Blake O'Brien (Edgewood)

Baseball (position)
Cam Stephens, Concordia University Chicago
...5-7...Junior...OF...Rosemont, Ill. (East Leyden)...
Stephens led the Cougars on their Arizona trip with a .500 batting average, as eight of his 11 hits were for extra bases, accounting for a slugging pct. of .909. He also scored a team-leading 11 runs last week. Had a game-tying pinch single in the top of the ninth inning against College of New Jersey on Thursday, when CUC went on to win in the ninth inning.

Other nominees: Mike Selvaggi (Edgewood), Ryne Billesbach (Rockford)

February 28-March 6

Baseball (pitcher)
Steve Cox, Concordia University Chicago
...6-2...Freshman...RHP...Villa Park, Ill. (Willowbrook)...
Cox shutout St. Mary's (Minn.) over six innings and 86 pitches of his college debut and earned the win in CUC's 12-5 victory. He did not allow any extra-base hits and struck out four in the nonconference game.

Other nominees: none