The 2007 Baldwin-Wallace College baseball award winners were recognized between innings of the Yellow Jackets’ annual alumni baseball game at Heritage Field on Homecoming morning, October 13.
- Outstanding Freshman: Right-handed pitcher Jim Palko was the Yellow Jackets’ most consistent starter, finishing his first season with a 2–1 record and a 2.64 earned run average in eight appearances. He was named OAC Pitcher of the Week for throwing nine innings in two games without giving up a run.
- Gold Glove Award: Slugging first baseman Riley Kreisher hit .370 with ten doubles and three home runs, but he was even more impressive with his glove, committing just one error in 285 chances. It was the first error of his career, and he now holds the career record for infielders with .997 fielding average.
- Big Stick Award: Center fielder Cody Kidd proved that last year’s Outstanding Freshman award was no fluke. The speedy lead-off hitter got on and around the bases all season, batting .382, scoring 42 runs and stealing 16 bases in 17 attempts. He also set a season record by getting hit with a pitch 13 times.
- Outstanding Pitcher: Catcher and closer Bob Storesina was the most dominating pitcher on the Jackets’ staff. He tied the career saves record by saving four games this season. Three of them came in a single weekend, earning him an OAC Pitcher of the Week award. His team-leading 0.75 ERA was backed up by 12 strikeouts in 12 innings of work, and he gave up just one walk and one earned run.
- Yellow Jacket Award: Cody Kidd and Riley Kreisher were recognized as outstanding teammates by the coaching staff for their unselfish leadership, positive attitude and constant encouragement of their teammates, and for “a practice ethic and style of play that, if emulated by any of our guys, would make for a better player and teammate.”
- Guy Fisher Award for Academic Excellence: Sophomore pitcher Brandon Fredericks posted back-to-back semesters with straight As and has a 3.91 cumulative grade point average going into his junior year.
Several recent B-W baseball award winners were at the alumni game to see this year’s honorees receive their awards, including last year’s Gold Glove second baseman Kevin Brown and Big Stick right fielder Dan Melito. Their classmates Nick Quarando, the 2004 Outstanding Freshman, and Mike Farrell, the 2004 Yellow Jacket Award winner, were also at the game.
Joining them in the alumni dugout were John Mayles ’85, Rich Barberic ’87, Mark Massey ’92, Steve Conter ’02, Jim Leffler ’03, Ryan Petrusky ’03 and Pat Shannon ’03.
Southpaw Max Newill ’98 started for the alumni and struck out five batters in two innings of work. He was followed to the mound by his classmate Brian Rudloff, while Heath Baker ’03 and Kevin Seda ’83 rounded out the alums’ rotation.
Before the final inning of the game, the alumni presented head coach Bob Fisher with a check for $3,752 that was raised during this spring’s Home Runs for Heritage campaign. The money was donated by B-W baseball alums, parents and fans, and will help pay for the design and construction of a new press box at Heritage Field.
For most of the morning, it looked like the game would end in a tie, just like last year’s 3–3 game, but the varsity Yellow Jackets broke a 1–1 deadlock with a late-inning rally and beat their predecessors 7–1.
