Northwestern University Athletics
Baseball Captures All-Big Ten Honors
5/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 18, 2000
EVANSTON, ILL. - Six Northwestern baseball players were named to the All-Big Ten teams by the conference coaches. Jeremy Kurella and Zach Schara were named first-team All-Big Ten, while sophomore Gabe Ribas earned second-team honors. Seniors Bob Dainton, Dan Padgett joined junior Joe Hietpas on the All-Big Ten Third Team.
Kurella, the 1998 Big Ten Rookie of the Year who was also a first-team selection at shortstop last year, led the Big Ten in steals with 40. He also accumulated more than 200 hits in his career -- the first junior in school history to accomplish the feat -- and ended the regular season with a .345 batting average. Kurella belted 15 doubles, five triples and four home runs during the regular season. Schara, meanwhile, led the team with eight wins and a 2.71 earned-run average. He struck out 92 -- including a school-record 16 against UNC-Wilmington on February 25 -- compared to just 18 walks. Schara is the first Wildcat pitcher to be named to the first team since John Seaman in 1998.
Sophomore pitcher Ribas earned second-team honors after throwing 82 innings, striking out 79 while walking only 35. He was second on the team in wins with seven, and opponents batted a measly .255 against him in 2000.
Dainton, Hietpas, and Padgett round out the Wildcat contingent earning third-team honors. Dainton, an outfielder, started every game of the year and was third on the team in hitting with a .359 average. Dainton's totals for the year included 10 doubles, three triples and three home runs. In addition, he was second on the team in RBIs with 38. The catcher, Hietpas, led the team in hitting with a .381 average, stroking 19 doubles, two triples and five home runs. He also led the team in slugging percentage at .574 and knocked in 50 runs. Padgett, meanwhile, was the third NU pitcher to make the All-Big Ten teams. Padgett was third on the team in wins with six and had the best conference record on the team at 5-1. He threw 70.1 innings, striking out 83 and walking 39. Padgett has an overall ERA of 3.45 (2.86 in conference games).
