2017 ALL-HEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TEAMS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Central Methodist University baseball team went on a 20-game winning streak during the 2017 season, has rolled up a 23-9 league mark to capture the Southern Division standings. The Eagles then led the league with nine first and second team members on the All-Heart of America Athletic Conference baseball teams announced this week.
The Eagles (42-15), who finished third at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament and are ranked No. 15 in the nation, are awaiting to see if they will receive an at-large bid in the NAIA Opening Round play, which gets underway in nine sites across the country on Monday. Forty-five teams will advance to the playoffs. The participants and pairings will be announced at 3 p.m. CST on Thursday.
Four members of the CMU squad earned first team honors. Shortstop Zach Beckner, first baseman Quinn Conley, centerfielder Dustyn Macaluso and pitcher Dariel Checo all received a nod by the coaches in the conference. Only Clarke University had more first team players than Central Methodist, as the Crusaders had five on the squad.
Five Eagles were named to the second team. Those players honored included catcher Fernando Villegas, pitchers Chris Danielson, C.J. Martin and Kyle Fulton, along with designated hitter Logan Haring. CMU's five players were the most named to the team from any college in the league. Four colleges had two apiece.
Benedictine College's Matt Jarecki was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Clarke's Michael Lopez earned Heart Pitcher of the Year honors. Crusaders' head coach Dan Spain was named the Coach of the Year.
Macaluso, a 5-9, 175-lb. senior from Sacramento, Calif., is the top hitter in the Heart of America Conference, holding on to a .440 average for the season. He also ranks third in RBIs per game, driving in 1.04 a contest. He ranks sixth in the nation in hits (91), ninth in runs scored (70), 12th in hits per game (1.60), 13th in batting average, 14th nationally in runs scored per game and 15th in total bases on the season (145). He has connected with 17 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs. He owns a slugging percentage of .700.
Checo, a 6-0, 205-lb. sophomore from New York, N.Y., ranks first in the Heart in opponent batting average (.211) and strikeouts per game (11.50). He is 11th in earned run average (3.75). In the individual national rankings, he is 26th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.85), 29th in opponent batting average and 41st in total hits allowed (53). Checo has an 8-1 record on the hill in 11 starts, with three complete games and two shutouts. He has struck out 89 and walked only 26 in 69.2 innings.
Beckner, a 5-10, 185-lb. senior from Versailles, Ky. was second in the Heart in RBIs per game (1.12) and eighth in batting average (.374). He ranked 22nd nationally in runs batted in (64). He has posted 71 hits, with 51 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs for the Eagles. He has driven in 64 runs and owns an on-base percentage of .642.
Conley, a 6-0, 170-lb. senior from Thousand Oaks, Calif., ranked 12th in the Heart in runs batted in per game (0.88). He owns a batting average of .373, with 42 runs on 66 hits, including 16 doubles and a home run. He has driven in 50 runs this season.
Villegas, a 5-11, 200-lb. junior from Hutchinson, Minn., is hitting .305 on the season, with six runs scored on 51 hits. He has connected with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs. He has also driven in 32 runs.
Danielson, a 6-0, 170-lb. senior from Saugus, Calif., owns a 7-1 season record on the mound, with a team-best 2.72 earned run average. He has five complete games and a pair of shutouts. In 59.2 innings he has struck out 63, while walking only 17. He also has two saves to his credit.
Fulton, a 6-3, 195-lb. junior from Monroe City, Mo., has an unblemished 5-0 record on the hill, to go along with a 3.00 earned run average. He has pitched 42 innings, with 57 strikeouts and 20 walks.
Haring, a 6-2, 200-lb. freshman from DeKalb. Ill., is hitting .303 on the year, with 35 runs on 50 hits. He has tallied nine doubles, three triples and seven homers, while driving in 43 runs and owning a .521 slugging percentage.
Central Methodist utility player Jared Johnson, a junior from DeKalb, Ill., along with pitcher Tyler Hull, a sophomore from New Franklin, Mo., received honorable mention all-conference.
CMU Baseball Contact: John Krueger
Phone: 936-332-9332 | jkrueger@centralmethodist.edu
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