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Shayne Ridley
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CLEVELAND (May 17) - Ball State University shortstop Shayne Ridley, the 2000 Mid-American
Conference Player of the Year, highlights the 30-player all-conference squad that was announced
by the league office. In addition, Ohio's Tony Schiml was tabbed as the conference's Pitcher of the Year, Ball State's Bryan Bullington was named the MAC's Freshman of the Year, while Kent State skipper Rick Rembielak was chosen as Coach of the Year. Voting for the 15-member first and 15-member second all-MAC teams was conducted by the league's 12 head coaches.
Kent State, the MAC overall regular season and the East Division champions with a 20-6 record and an overall mark of 39-16, had a league-high six players represented on the first- and second-teams (two first-team and four second-team selections). West Division co-champ Central Michigan (40-15, 18-8) had three players named to the first team and one to the second, while Ball State (32-21, 18-8), which was also the West co-champ, had two first-team recipients and one placed on the second team. Miami, which was the last team to qualify in the East Division tied with the Chippewas with three first-team choices.
Ridley, one of five players to be unanimously named to the first-team, led the MAC in hitting the entire regular season and currently ranks second in the nation with a .460 average. A first-team all-conference selection last season as a junior, the Milton, Ontario, native is first among all MAC shortstops in six offensive categories. Ridley is the fourth Cardinal to garner Player of the Year honors, and it also marks the third time in league history that players from the same school have been named the conference's MVP in back-to-back seasons. Last year, former Ball State standout Larry Bigbie, now a member of the Baltimore Orioles organization, was the MAC Player of the Year in 1999.
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Tony Schiml
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Schiml, a senior from Dayton, Ohio, completed the regular season with an 8-2 record and a 4.38 ERA for the Bobcats. In league play, the left-handed hurler was 7-0 with 2.47 ERA and fanned 61 batters in 76 innings of work. His seven victories in MAC play led all pitchers, while his eight wins overall was tied for second. Schiml, who like Ridley was a unanimous first-team choice, is the first Ohio hurler to be named the MAC Pitcher of the Year.
Bullington, who led the MAC in wins with nine during the regular season, is the third Ball State player to capture the rookie award in the last four years. The Madison, Ind., product was 9-3 with a 3.68 ERA, which ranked fifth in the MAC. In 78.1 innings, Bullington struck out 90, walked 24 and gave up only 48 hits. In conference action, Bullington was 5-2 with a 3.35 ERA that ranked fifth in the league and was second among freshman pitchers. Bullington was one of three freshman named to the first team.
For the second time in his career Rembielak was selected as the MAC Coach of the Year. Picked to finish third in their division back in February, Rembielak, who is in his seven year with the Golden Flashes, guided his team to the school's first title since 1996 and the sixth in the program's history.
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Bryan Bullington
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Joining Ridley, Schmil and Bullington on the first team were Eric Pinkerton (Marshall, Sr., 1B), Scott Pieratt (Central Michigan (Sr., 2B), Jason Stuecher (Toledo, Sr., 3B), Alex Marconi (Kent State, Sr., C), Mark Malaska (Akron, Jr., OF), Jake Sanborn (Central Michigan, Sr., OF), Clark Mace (Miami, Jr., OF), Mike Galloway (Central Michigan, Fr., DH), John Lackaff (Miami, Jr., UT), Tony Fontana (Bowling Green, Jr., P), Chris Leonard (Miami, Fr., P) and Dan Adams (Kent State, Sr., RP). Along with Ridley and Schiml as unanimous choices at their respective positions were Stuecher, Marconi and Adams, who was one of four players to repeat as first-team selections -- Ridley, Marconi and Sanborn.
On the all-MAC second team is Ohio's right side of the infield, Jeff Rook (Sr., 1B) and Ryan Kyes (Jr., 2B), Homer Renshaw (Marshall, So., 3B), Jeremy Ison (Miami, Jr., SS), Joe Seestadt (Western Michigan, Sr., C), Dave Mattle (Kent State, So., OF), Marty Rini (Marshall, So., OF), Cory Keylor (Ohio, So., OF), Alan Gilhousen (Bowling Green, Sr., DH), John VanBenschoten (Kent State, So., UT), John Wilkinson (Akron, Sr., P), Mike Steele (Central Michigan, Sr., P), Doug Straight (Kent State, Sr., P), Dirk Hayhurst (Kent State, Fr., P) and Chad Wells (Ball State, Sr., RP).
2000 All-Mid-American Conference Baseball Team
First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown (High School/Junior College)
Alex Marconi Kent State C Sr. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary)
Eric Pinkerton Marshall 1B Sr. Charleston, W. Va. (Sissonville)
Scott Pieratt Central Michigan 2B Sr. Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Sacred Heart)
Jason Stuecher Toledo 3B Sr. Macomb, Mich. (Notre Dame)
Shayne Ridley Ball State SS Sr. Milton, Ontario (Milton District)
Mark Malaska Akron OF Jr. Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)
Jake Sanborn Central Michigan OF Sr. Grand Ledge, Mich. (Grand Ledge)
Clark Mace Miami OF Jr. London, Ohio (Madison Plains)
Mike Galloway Central Michigan DH Fr. St. Thomas, Ontario (Central)
John Lackaff Miami UT Jr. Downers Grove, Ill. (North)
Bryan Bullington Ball State P Fr. Madison, Ind. (Madison)
Tony Fontana Bowling Green P Jr. Parma, Ohio (Valley Forge)
Chris Leonard Miami P Fr. Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis De Sales)
Tony Schiml Ohio P Sr. Dayton, Ohio (Sinclair CC)
Dan Adams Kent State RP Sr. Burlington, Wash. (Walla Walla CC)
Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown (High School/Junior College)
Joe Seestadt Western Michigan C Sr. West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield)
Jeff Rook Ohio 1B Sr. Fairfield, Ohio (Fairfield)
Ryan Kyes Ohio 2B Jr. White Lake, Mich. (Detroit Country Day)
Homer Renshaw Marshall 3B So. Omaha, Neb. (Coffeyville CC)
Jeremy Ison Miami SS Jr. Hudson, Ohio (Hudson)
Dave Mattle Kent State OF So. Barberton, Ohio (Barberton)
Marty Rini Marshall OF So. Bethel Park, Pa. (Bethel Park)
Cory Keylor Ohio OF So. Westerville, Ohio (Westerville North)
Alan Gilhousen Bowling Green DH Sr. Canton, Ohio (Glen Oak)
John VanBenschoten Kent State UT So. Milford, Ohio (Milford)
John Wilkinson Akron P Sr. Brunswick, Ohio (Padua Franciscan)
Mike Steele Central Michigan P Sr. Midland, Mich. (Grand Rapids CC)
Doug Straight Kent State P Sr. Buckhannon, W.Va. (Upshur)
Dirk Hayhurst Kent State P Fr. Canton, Ohio (South)
Chad Wells Ball State RP Sr. Fort Wayne, Ind. (Carroll)
MAC Player of the Year: Shayne Ridley, Ball State
MAC Pitcher of the Year: Tony Schiml, Ohio
MAC Freshman of the Year: Bryan Bullington, Ball State
MAC Coach of the Year: Rick Rembielak, Kent State