Northwestern University Athletics
Four Baseball Players Earn All-Big Ten
5/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - Four Northwestern baseball players were named to the All-Big Ten teams by the conference coaches. Senior catcher Joe Hietpas (Appleton, Wis./North) was named second team All-Big Ten, while senior pitcher Michael Nall (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and junior hurler Zach Schara (Madison, Wis./West) earned third-team honors. Junior designated hitter Todd Morgan (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) joined Nall and Schara on the third team.
Hietpas, a third team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, finished his Wildcat career on the Top 10 list of eight different offensive categories. He graduates as NU's all-time doubles leader, with 56 two-baggers, and with 158 RBI he finished two shy of Tom Hildebrand's record set from 1982-85. Hietpas also owns records for total bases (374/2nd), home runs (27/3rd), hits (229/5th), hit by pitches (12/5th) and sacrifice flies (10/t-6th). In 2001, Hietpas finished second on the team with 30 RBI and tied for the team lead with four home runs. He had 195 at-bats and threw out 27 would-be base stealers.
Nall earned third-team honors, throwing 91.0 innings on the season and striking out 80 batters. He tied for the team lead with seven wins, and opponents hit a measly .238 against him. He also threw five complete games and three shutouts, including a three-hit gem against Penn State on May 5 that earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors. Nall finished the regular season third in the Big Ten strikeout race, one behind teammate Schara, and tied for sixth on NU's single-season list.
Schara, a first team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, ended the season with 81 strikeouts in 96.0 innings of work. He finished second in the conference in strikeouts, behind Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Andy Dickinson of Illinois, and led the Wildcats in innings pitched for the second straight season. Though only a junior, Schara is already second on the school's career K list with 230. He needs just 43 more to take over the lead. Schara also moved into a tie for ninth on the career win list with 19 in his three years.
Minnesota native Morgan rounds out the Wildcat contingent on the all-conference teams. Used primarily as a designated hitter, the left-handed hitting Morgan led the team with a .339 average. In 115 at-bats, he had five doubles, two triples and one home run. His 20 RBI tied him for third on the team and he had a team-leading .437 on-base percentage.
2001 ALL-BIG TEN BASEBALL TEAMS
Player of the Year: Jack Hannahan, 3B, MINN
Pitcher of the Year: Andy Dickinson, ILL
Freshman of the Year: Doug Deeds, DH, OSU
Coach of the Year: Bob Todd, OSU
FIRST TEAM
1B - Nick Swisher, OSU
2B - David Blomberg, PU
SS - Mike Duursma, PU
3B - Jack Hannahan, MINN
OF - Mike Check, OSU
OF - Bob Malek, MSU
OF - Nate Sickler, PU
DH - Doug Deeds, OSU
C - Chris Netwall, PSU
P - Andy Dickinson, ILL
P - Dave Gassner, PU
P - Mike Kobow, MINN
P - E.J. Laratta, OSU
RP - Cory Cox, OSU
SECOND TEAM
1B - Andy Schutzenhofer, ILL
2B - Mike Harris, OSU
SS - Scott Welch, MINN
3B - Brock Koman, MICH
OF - Rob Fischer, ILL
OF - Zack Smithlin, PSU
OF - Sam Steidl, MINN
DH - Kurt Haring, MINN
C - Joe Hietpas, NU
P - Bryan Gale, MSU
P - Bobby Korecky, MICH
P - Dan McCall, PSU
P - Ben Quick, PU
RP - Dominick Squires, MSU
THIRD TEAM
1B - Josh Holthaus, MINN
2B - Mike DeRenzo, PSU
SS - Kurt Vitense, IOWA
3B - Luke Simmons, ILL
OF - Brady Ballard, ILL
OF - Jason Kennedy, MINN
OF - Blake St. Clair, IND
DH - Todd Morgan, NU
C - David Harrell, PU
P - Kevin Goodrum, OSU
P - Michael Nall, NU
P - Greg Prenger, OSU
P - Zach Schara, NU
RP - Jason Shupe, MINN
