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Wiczek Named
First-Team All-American and Regional Player of the Year
After battling injuries in his first three years at UW-Stevens Point,
Steve Wiczek finally showed his skills as a senior and has been rewarded by
being named a first-team NCAA Division III Baseball All-American and the
Midwest Region Position Player of the Year.
Wiczek is the fourth All-American in school history and the second
first-team selection, joining Paul Molitor in 2002. He is one of three
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference players on the first team
along with UW-Oshkosh second baseman Jeremy Jirschele and UW-Whitewater
pitcher Greg Reinhard.
The All-American honor is selected by the American Baseball Coaches
Association, while the Regional Player of the Year award is presented by the
National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America. Reinhard was named the
region�s Pitcher of the Year.
In addition, Wiczek was one of seven UW-Stevens Point players to earn
All-Region honors from the ABCA. He was joined on the first team by junior
outfielder Chuck Brehm and senior pitcher J.C. Reinke. Second team
performers were senior first baseman Ryan Jones and junior shortstop Jake
Frombach. Senior rightfieler/pitcher Matt Polomis and freshman third baseman
Tim Schlosser were third-team selections.
Wiczek has the unusual distinction of earning the prestigious awards
despite not playing a single defensive inning all season. He played all 49
games and recorded 191 at-bats as a designated hitter and the team�s cleanup
hitter.
A Stevens Point native, Wiczek set a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference single-season record with 85 hits. He also led the league with a
.445 average, 18 home runs, 70 RBI�s and 156 total bases. All of Wiczek�s
offensive numbers were school records. He had hits in 46 of the Pointers� 49
games.
All the success comes after Wiczek hit a combined .194 with 20 hits, 15
RBI�s and three home runs over his first three seasons with the Pointers. He
had arm injuries that forced him to medical redshirt in 2003 and play only
at designated hitter the past two seasons. |
