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Three Tigers wrap up season with second-team honors
5/11/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
As a junior, AJ Levanduski played in a part-time role for the Fort Hays State University baseball team. The backup catcher to Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Freshman of the Year Ryan Majercik, Levanduski saw time in just 32 games (26 starts) and batted .345.
This spring, Majercik started slowly and Levanduski eventually took over as the team's starting catcher and most consistent hitter. The senior started 45 games and provided a surprise season with a team-best .385 average, seventh best in the conference. Levanduski's outstanding year helped him earn second team all-MIAA utilityman, one of three Tigers named to the second team.
"I didn't expect (the good year)," Levanduski said after the team's last game. "I just kept working hard during the season and trying to get better and better. Going after one hit a game, turning into two hits and just kept on adding on from there. It was a great season."
In addition to Levanduski, senior third baseman Alex Harvey, a transfer from NCAA Division I Western Illinois University, and junior right fielder Greg Bieker picked up second-team honors.
Five players, senior ace left-hander Eric Gilliland, junior closer Mat Atkinson, senior first baseman Dusty Washburn, junior second baseman Tyler Robbins and sophomore designated hitter Kyle Stacken, were named to the honorable mention team. Fort Hays finished 30-26 overall, 20-20 in the conference, good for sixth place.
No Tiger, though, made the jump that Levanduski had. In 2008, he posted a .431 on-base percentage and .517 slugging percentage with two homers and 10 walks. This spring, those numbers jumped to a .511 on-base percentage, second-best in the conference, and a .615 slugging percentage, 10th in the league. He added 29 walks, the MIAA's fourth-best, and seven homers.
"Guys with velocity, he was able to handle the fastball, quality pitches, just really was able to increase his bat speed and increase his strength overall," Tiger coach Rick Sabath said. "He is in the best shape that he has been in. Testament to the quality of kid that he is, what he did to get better as his career went along."
Harvey, who moved from the outfield to third base after early season injuries to other Tiger personnel, batted .323 with 10 homers and a team-leading 48 RBIs. He tied for the team lead in runs scored, ranked second on the club in stolen bases and was one of two players to start in all 56 games.
"It is my last year, so it is my biggest goal just to have fun every day," he said during the spring. "Whatever happens, if you have a bad day, you still have to come to the ballpark, so it is not really a bad day for me."
Bieker, a Hays High School graduate and all-conference and all-region in 2008, came back from an early-season back injury to lead the team in homers (11) and slugging percentage (.637).
"I got into a chiropractor and kind of worked on it pretty rigorously," he said.
"It has helped, they did a great job out there."
Gilliland earned honorable mention honors for the second straight year with the Tigers after he posted one of the most consistent seasons in the conference. Gilliland boosted his numbers from a 3-5 record and 6.29 earned-run average in 2008 to an 8-7 record and 3.82 ERA. He tied for third in the MIAA in wins, finished second in inning pitched (92) and first in games started (16). Gilliland is sixth on Fort Hays' single season list for innings pitched (92) and eighth all-time (1702รขÑ3 ).
Gilliland and Washburn were also picked as CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first team selections, just two of three players from the MIAA selected to the first team. Washburn, an honorable All-American selection in 2008, was batting .372 with 10 homers on March 26 before injuries and a death in the family caused a slump. Washburn batted .314 with 10 homers and a team-high 13 doubles. He finished in the top 10 in school history in multiple statistics, and tied for second in doubles (53).
Atkinson ranked second in the MIAA in saves with nine, tied for the fourth-most saves in a single season at Fort Hays and had a 3.18 ERA.
Robbins earned honorable mention honors for the second consecutive year. The junior, who picked up all-conference honors at third base before he moved over to second this season, batted .340 and led the team in hits (65) and stolen bases (17).
Stacken battled through injury issues this season, playing in just 33 games, but led the team in batting average at a .398 clip.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |