Northwestern University Athletics
Trio of Wildcats Earn All-Big Ten Accolades
5/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 24, 2011
Complete All-Big Ten Release (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern was represented by three individuals on the All-Big Ten baseball teams announced Tuesday. Senior third baseman Chris Lashmet (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and junior designated hitter Paul Snieder (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) were second-team selections, while junior shortstop Trevor Stevens (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) was a third-team pick.
In addition, designated hitter Jack Livingston (Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Northern) and second baseman Kyle Ruchim (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) were both named to the All-Freshman Team.
Lashmet, a first-team honoree a year ago, paced the Wildcats with a .353 batting average, 67 hits and 16 doubles in his final year in a Northwestern uniform. His average went up to .387 in Big Ten play, the fourth-best mark in the conference. He joined Stevens as the only to Wildcats to appear in all 49 games this season. Lashmet completes his collegiate career ranked second all-time at NU with 49 doubles, fourth with 238 hits and 743 at-bats, fifth with 355 total bases and 10th with 20 home runs.
Snieder earned first-team accolades as a relief pitcher in 2010. He was recognized for his efforts at the plate in 2011, ranking just behind Lashmet with a .347 average. Named to the watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, Snieder paced Northwestern with six home runs, 42 RBI, a .432 on-base percentage and a .523 slugging percentage. He hit safely in a team season-best 15 straight games from April 2-29 and was named Big Ten Player of the Week May 16.
Stevens followed up on his second-team selection last season with another solid campaign this year. He split time between center field and shortstop in 2011, ranking fourth on the squad with a .305 batting average. His 26 walks tied Snieder for the team lead, while also ranking first with 40 runs scored, four triples and 10 stolen bases. He also tied Aaron Newman's NU season record by being hit by 14 pitches. Stevens ranked fourth in the league in Big Ten play with 16 walks and 23 runs scored.
Livingston shined as a pinch hitter early in the season before earning a starting job in the latter half of the campaign. His .340 batting average was the third-best mark on the team. He was tops on the squad with a .455 on-base percentage and second with a .505 slugging percentage, notching 11 doubles among his 33 hits.
Ruchim started 48 of a possible 49 games, mainly at the middle infield positions. He hit .229 and was fourth on the team with 28 runs scored. In the field, his 128 assists led the Wildcats while committing only seven errors. Ruchim ripped the first two home runs of his collegiate career in a win over Purdue April 23.
Senior left-handed pitcher Matt Gailey (Inverness, Ill./Fremd) was honored as the team's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The honor is given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Northwestern completed its 2011 season with a 20-29 overall record and a 10-13 mark in Big Ten play.
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