Spartans Rack Up IIAC Honors
May 16, 2017
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Iowa Conference named University of Dubuque head baseball coach Paul Wyczawski 2017 Coach of the Year and seven Spartan players to the 2017 All-Iowa Conference team, headlined with four first team picks. It is the most All-Iowa Conference selections in a single year in school history.
Head Coach Paul Wyczawski led the Spartans to a record breaking season as the Spartans set the school record with 23 overall wins and 17 Iowa Conference wins. The previous record for wins in a season was set in 1995 with 22 overall wins, while the previous conference wins mark was 13 wins in both the 1985 and 1986 seasons. The second place regular season finish in the Iowa Conference is also the best finish in the conference standings school history.
Chase Kueter, Nathan Schneiderman, Thomas Kempf and Austin McWhite were the four Spartans that were named First Team All-Iowa Conference. Chase Kueter (Bellevue, Iowa / Bellevue) started all 11 games that he pitched in this season and accumulated a 4-5 record with a 2.24 ERA, the best ERA among UD starting pitchers. Kueter finished the season with 80.1 innings pitched and 68 strikeouts. The 68 strikeouts were second in the Iowa Conference and his five complete games were tied for the most in the IIAC. Nathan Schneiderman (German Valley, Ill. / Forreston) had the best ERA in the entire Iowa Conference in the regular season with 0.00 after allowing no earned runs and only one unearned run. He did not allow an earned run until the Iowa Conference Tournament and finished the season with a 0.47 ERA. Schneiderman pitched 38.0 innings in the 2017 season with only one start, allowing 18 hits scattered over those 38 innings, striking out 42 and earning five saves.
Austin McWhite (Orlando, Fla. / Wekiva) earned first team outfield honors, hitting .336 in 39 games with four home runs and 21 RBI’s. McWhite patrolled center field for the Spartans and recorded 82 putouts and six assists with only one error for a fielding percentage of .989. Thomas Kempf (Chicago, Ill. / Lane Tech Prep) held down first base on his way to All-Iowa Conference honors. In his sophomore campaign, Kempf was second in the Iowa Conference with a batting average of .396. He also led the Iowa Conference with an on base percentage of .470 and had a team high 30 RBI’s.
Doug Van Dyke and Will Doherty were both selected as second team All-Iowa Conference for their performances this season. Doug Van Dyke (Bartlett, Ill. / Bartlett). Van Dyke pitched in 11 games for UD and started 10 of those where he produced a 6-2 record and 3.66 ERA over 71.1 innings.
Will Doherty (Cross Plains, Wis. / Wisconsin Heights) started every single game behind the plate for the Spartans. Over those 40 games he hit .277 with eight doubles and 20 RBI’s. As a catcher, he was second in the Iowa Conference, throwing out 16 runners trying to steal. Doherty produced a fielding percentage of .975 with 286 putouts and 26 assists.
Michael Salazar (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Desert Mountain) earned honorable mention All-Iowa Conference honors for his play during his senior season. Salazar was the Spartan designated hitter and leadoff hitter and finished the 2017 season with the third best batting average on the team at .279. Salazar added 11 doubles, 12 RBI’s, one home run with a slugging percentage of .433.
Full All-Iowa Conference list can be found HERE
