NAC Announces Baseball Postseason Awards

AURORA, Ill. May 15, 2009 - The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) announced the 2009 Baseball All-Conference Team and postseason awards. Spartan junior pitcher Steve Salazar (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard West H.S.) was named 2009 NAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year.

The Aurora University baseball team finished the 2009 season with a 29-13 record, placed three players on the NAC All-Conference First-Team, four players on the NAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team, one player on the NAC All-Freshman Team and one player on the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Joining Salazar as First-Team All-Conference selections were junior outfielder Tony Wellner (Minooka, IL/Minooka H.S.) and senior outfielder/pitcher Dave Warner (Lyons, IL/Morton West H.S.), while senior pitcher Chris Koudelka (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove North H.S.), senior catcher Ray Kosmicki III (Schaumburg, IL/Schaumburg H.S.), junior first baseman Nate Peterson (Aurora, IL/Aurora Christian) and sophomore pitcher Dan McCarthy (Crestwood, IL/Shepard H.S.) were named to the NAC Honorable Mention All-Conference Team. Freshman second baseman Bobby Wilson (Plainfield, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) was named to the NAC All-Freshman Team and senior third baseman Kevin Fitzgerald (Joliet, IL/Joliet Township H.S.).

Salazar had the league's best earned run average with a 2.12 mark and also led the NAC in batters struck out with 77. Salazar finished the season with a 5-4 record in 10 appearances with five complete games and three shutouts. He threw a no-hitter against Benedictine University on April 15, 2009.

Wellner had another strong season, finishing with a .411 average, 11 home runs, 23 doubles (tying his own single season record), a team high 55 runs scored and 43 runs batted in. He had a .756 slugging percentage and .474 on-base percentage. Warner hit .410 with 43 runs batted in, 20 doubles, five home runs and 52 runs scored. He had a .647 slugging percentage and .486 on-base percentage. On the mound, Warner was 2-1 with four saves and a 2.04 earned run average.

Koudelka had a 6-1 record with a 2.29 earned run average, three complete games, one shutout, 47 strikeouts in 55 innings and opponents hit .233 against him. Kosmicki hit .394 with 31 runs scored, 33 runs batted in, 10 doubles, five home runs and 10 stolen bases. He had a .635 slugging percentage and .504 on-base percentage. Peterson hit .331 with a team high 49 runs batted in, 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, eight home runs and 33 base on balls. McCarthy led AU and the NAC with an 8-1 record with a 3.81 earned run average, two complete games in nine games started and 10 appearances.

The newcomer, freshman second baseman Bobby Wilson hit .267 with 30 runs scored, two doubles, a triple and 17 runs batted in. Fitzgerald hit .264 with 31 runs scored, 28 runs batted in, nine doubles and two home runs.

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