Eight Mavericks Named to All-Summit Baseball Teams
May 22, 2014 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Eight Omaha players were named to the 2014 All-Summit League Baseball Teams, the conference office announced Wednesday evening. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Fox led the way, securing Summit League Pitcher of the Year recognition, and head coach Bob Herold was voted Summit League Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
The first team included three Mavericks: Fox, senior shortstop Caleb Palensky and sophomore second baseman Clayton Taylor. Five more UNO players were named to the second team: senior third baseman Tyler Splichal, senior designated hitter Brett Bass, junior outfielder Daniel Jewett, sophomore outfielder Cole Gruber and sophomore utility player Alex Schultz.
The Mavericks had three repeat all-conference picks in Splichal, Taylor and Bass. Splichal was previously a first-team selection in 2013, while Taylor and Bass had been second-team honorees.
Fox becomes Omaha's first player to be named Summit League Pitcher of the Year. He recorded a league-leading nine wins to go 9-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched. The Thornton, Colo., native was a perfect 5-0 in league play with a 2.40 ERA in seven appearances, and conference foes batted just .255 against him. Fox earned Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors on March 10.
Taylor, who started every game this season, led the Summit League in RBI (48) and total bases (112), and he was second in hits (64), doubles (17), home runs (nine) and slugging percentage (.599). He batted a team-best .342, led his team with 18 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games this season and also had a team-long 24-game reaching base streak. Taylor, a graduate of Mount Michael, was named Summit League Player of the Week on April 21.
Palensky started all 51 games at shortstop in his senior season, batting .305 with 29 runs scored, 40 RBI, 15 doubles, two triples and four home runs. A two-time Summit League Player of the Week on March 31 and April 28, the Papillion-LaVista South product ranked second in the conference in RBI and was third in triples. Against conference-only opposition, Palensky paced his league peers in doubles, total bases and RBI, and he boasted a .671 slugging percentage in those contests.
Splichal, a product of Bellevue East, started all 212 games of his five-year Maverick career and capped his senior campaign with a .302 batting average, 22 runs scored and 18 RBI. He finished the season by leading the Summit League with 16 sacrifice hits.
Bass, a Millard West graduate, hit .299 this season with 25 runs scored, 32 RBI, nine doubles, a triple and a home run. He put together a team-best 24-game hitting streak from April 6 to May 15.
Gruber, who came to UNO from Papillion-LaVista, led the Summit League with 47 runs scored and 34 stolen bases, the latter of which ranked fifth nationally among Division I players. He started all 51 games and batted .319 with 47 runs scored, 18 RBI, seven doubles, two triples and a home run.
Jewett hit .333 with 21 runs scored, 29 RBI, five doubles, two triples and a home run in his first season as a Maverick. In conference play, the Poulsbo, Wash., native was fifth in RBI (18), sixth in batting average (.359) and seventh in hits (28) and on-base percentage (.446). Jewett was named Summit League Player of the Week on April 7.
Schultz, who hails from Sioux Falls, S.D., split time between center field and first base in his sophomore season. He batted .302 with 43 runs scored, 23 RBI, seven doubles, a triple and a home run, and he drew a league-leading 30 walks. Schultz was also second in the conference for runs scored. He was chosen as Summit League Player of the Week on March 3.
Herold captured his second straight Coach of the Year award after guiding Omaha to its second consecutive regular-season title with a 31-20 record and a 15-9 league mark. The Mavericks had the top pitching staff in league play with a 3.14 team ERA and were second in batting average with a .287 mark. UNO ended the year on a seven-game win streak, and in two seasons in the Summit League, Herold's Maverick squads have compiled a 35-15 conference record.
2014 ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE TEAMS
First Team
Name, School, Pos., Yr., Hometown
Aaron Machbitz, South Dakota State, 1B, Sr., Dallas, Texas
Clayton Taylor, Omaha, 2B, So., Omaha, Neb.
Tanner Glore, Western Illinois, 3B, Sr., Potosi, Mo.
Caleb Palensky, Omaha, SS, Sr., Papillion, Neb.
Tim Colwell, North Dakota State, OF, Sr., Shoreview, Minn.
Neil DeCook, Western Illinois, OF, Sr., Kankakee, Ill.
Scott Splett, South Dakota State, OF, Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.
Michael Leach, North Dakota State, C, Sr., Marysville, Wash.
Carter DeBoe, Fort Wayne, DH, Sr.. Holland, Mich.
Steve Lowden, Fort Wayne., UTL, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Adam Bray, South Dakota State, SP, Jr., Eden Prairie, Min.
Tyler Fox, Omaha, SP, So., Thornton, Colo.
Tyler Willman, Western Illinois, SP, Jr., Oshkosh, Wis.
J.D. Moore, South Dakota State, RP, Jr., Mississauga, Ontario
Second Team
Name, School, Pos., Yr., Hometown
Kyle Kleinendorst, North Dakota State, 1B, Sr., Crystal Lake, Ill.
Wes Satzinger, North Dakota State, 2B, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Tyler Splichal, Omaha, 3B, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Jameson Henning, Western Illinois, SS, So., Show Low, Ariz.
Zack Burling, Western Illinois, OF, Sr., Kankakee, Ill.
Cole Gruber, Omaha, OF, So., Omaha, Neb.
Daniel Jewett, Omaha, OF, Jr., Poulsbo, Wash.
JJ Reimer, Western Illinois, C, Jr., Rushville, Ind.
Brett Bass, Omaha, DH, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Alex Schultz, Omaha, UTL, So., Sioux Falls, S.D.
David Ernst, North Dakota State, SP, Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.
Chad Hodges, South Dakota State, SP, Jr., Decatur, Ill.
Parker Trewin, North Dakota State, SP, Jr., Chaska, Minn.
Trevor Jaunich, North Dakota State, RP, Jr., Mississauga, Ontario
Player of the Year: Tim Colwell, North Dakota State
Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Fox, Omaha
Newcomer of the Year: Matt Johnson, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year: Bob Herold, Omaha
The first team included three Mavericks: Fox, senior shortstop Caleb Palensky and sophomore second baseman Clayton Taylor. Five more UNO players were named to the second team: senior third baseman Tyler Splichal, senior designated hitter Brett Bass, junior outfielder Daniel Jewett, sophomore outfielder Cole Gruber and sophomore utility player Alex Schultz.
The Mavericks had three repeat all-conference picks in Splichal, Taylor and Bass. Splichal was previously a first-team selection in 2013, while Taylor and Bass had been second-team honorees.
Fox becomes Omaha's first player to be named Summit League Pitcher of the Year. He recorded a league-leading nine wins to go 9-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched. The Thornton, Colo., native was a perfect 5-0 in league play with a 2.40 ERA in seven appearances, and conference foes batted just .255 against him. Fox earned Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors on March 10.
Taylor, who started every game this season, led the Summit League in RBI (48) and total bases (112), and he was second in hits (64), doubles (17), home runs (nine) and slugging percentage (.599). He batted a team-best .342, led his team with 18 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games this season and also had a team-long 24-game reaching base streak. Taylor, a graduate of Mount Michael, was named Summit League Player of the Week on April 21.
Palensky started all 51 games at shortstop in his senior season, batting .305 with 29 runs scored, 40 RBI, 15 doubles, two triples and four home runs. A two-time Summit League Player of the Week on March 31 and April 28, the Papillion-LaVista South product ranked second in the conference in RBI and was third in triples. Against conference-only opposition, Palensky paced his league peers in doubles, total bases and RBI, and he boasted a .671 slugging percentage in those contests.
Splichal, a product of Bellevue East, started all 212 games of his five-year Maverick career and capped his senior campaign with a .302 batting average, 22 runs scored and 18 RBI. He finished the season by leading the Summit League with 16 sacrifice hits.
Bass, a Millard West graduate, hit .299 this season with 25 runs scored, 32 RBI, nine doubles, a triple and a home run. He put together a team-best 24-game hitting streak from April 6 to May 15.
Gruber, who came to UNO from Papillion-LaVista, led the Summit League with 47 runs scored and 34 stolen bases, the latter of which ranked fifth nationally among Division I players. He started all 51 games and batted .319 with 47 runs scored, 18 RBI, seven doubles, two triples and a home run.
Jewett hit .333 with 21 runs scored, 29 RBI, five doubles, two triples and a home run in his first season as a Maverick. In conference play, the Poulsbo, Wash., native was fifth in RBI (18), sixth in batting average (.359) and seventh in hits (28) and on-base percentage (.446). Jewett was named Summit League Player of the Week on April 7.
Schultz, who hails from Sioux Falls, S.D., split time between center field and first base in his sophomore season. He batted .302 with 43 runs scored, 23 RBI, seven doubles, a triple and a home run, and he drew a league-leading 30 walks. Schultz was also second in the conference for runs scored. He was chosen as Summit League Player of the Week on March 3.
Herold captured his second straight Coach of the Year award after guiding Omaha to its second consecutive regular-season title with a 31-20 record and a 15-9 league mark. The Mavericks had the top pitching staff in league play with a 3.14 team ERA and were second in batting average with a .287 mark. UNO ended the year on a seven-game win streak, and in two seasons in the Summit League, Herold's Maverick squads have compiled a 35-15 conference record.
2014 ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE TEAMS
First Team
Name, School, Pos., Yr., Hometown
Aaron Machbitz, South Dakota State, 1B, Sr., Dallas, Texas
Clayton Taylor, Omaha, 2B, So., Omaha, Neb.
Tanner Glore, Western Illinois, 3B, Sr., Potosi, Mo.
Caleb Palensky, Omaha, SS, Sr., Papillion, Neb.
Tim Colwell, North Dakota State, OF, Sr., Shoreview, Minn.
Neil DeCook, Western Illinois, OF, Sr., Kankakee, Ill.
Scott Splett, South Dakota State, OF, Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.
Michael Leach, North Dakota State, C, Sr., Marysville, Wash.
Carter DeBoe, Fort Wayne, DH, Sr.. Holland, Mich.
Steve Lowden, Fort Wayne., UTL, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Adam Bray, South Dakota State, SP, Jr., Eden Prairie, Min.
Tyler Fox, Omaha, SP, So., Thornton, Colo.
Tyler Willman, Western Illinois, SP, Jr., Oshkosh, Wis.
J.D. Moore, South Dakota State, RP, Jr., Mississauga, Ontario
Second Team
Name, School, Pos., Yr., Hometown
Kyle Kleinendorst, North Dakota State, 1B, Sr., Crystal Lake, Ill.
Wes Satzinger, North Dakota State, 2B, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Tyler Splichal, Omaha, 3B, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Jameson Henning, Western Illinois, SS, So., Show Low, Ariz.
Zack Burling, Western Illinois, OF, Sr., Kankakee, Ill.
Cole Gruber, Omaha, OF, So., Omaha, Neb.
Daniel Jewett, Omaha, OF, Jr., Poulsbo, Wash.
JJ Reimer, Western Illinois, C, Jr., Rushville, Ind.
Brett Bass, Omaha, DH, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
Alex Schultz, Omaha, UTL, So., Sioux Falls, S.D.
David Ernst, North Dakota State, SP, Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.
Chad Hodges, South Dakota State, SP, Jr., Decatur, Ill.
Parker Trewin, North Dakota State, SP, Jr., Chaska, Minn.
Trevor Jaunich, North Dakota State, RP, Jr., Mississauga, Ontario
Player of the Year: Tim Colwell, North Dakota State
Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Fox, Omaha
Newcomer of the Year: Matt Johnson, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year: Bob Herold, Omaha
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