May 14, 2007
Seven Gorillas Earn All-MIAA Baseball Honors
PITTSBURG
-- Seven members of the Pittsburg State University baseball team were
named to the 2007 All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
team when the squad was announced Monday (May 14).
Two Gorillas -- pitcher Bryson Clark
and outfielder Jeff Deao -- were named to the first-team
All-MIAA squad. Clark was an unanimous first-team
All-MIAA selection and additionally was honored as the MIAA Pitcher of
the Year.
Senior outfielder Kevin Deao
and senior designated hitter Drew Schulte was named to
the second-team All-MIAA squad, while senior utility player TJ
Franklin, junior shortstop Brett Hothan and
junior third baseman Luke Naccarato received honorable
mention All-MIAA recognition.
Clark, a senior lefthander from Webb City, Mo.,
leads the MIAA in ERA (1.94), opponent batting
average (.173), shutouts (2) and is tied for the lead in complete games
(6). He posted a 7-2 record on the season -- both losses were 1-0 setbacks.
Jeff Deao, a senior from Omaha, Neb., led the
MIAA in stolen bases (39), hitting .342 with five home runs and 29 RBIs.
His brother, Kevin Deao, hit .359 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.
Schulte, from Webb City, Mo., became a four-time
All-MIAA performer. He hit .333 with four HRs and 31 RBIs on the year.
Franklin, a Girard, Kan., native hit a team-leading
.365 with nine home runs and a team-best 49 RBIs, splitting time between
first base and catcher for the Gorillas. Hothan, from Tecumseh, Kan.,
hit .325 with two home runs and 31 RBIs, while Naccarato, a Hutchinson,
Kan., native, hit .265 with six HRs and 38 RBIs.
The Gorillas finished the season with a 24-30
overall record.