2008 NSIC All-Conference Baseball Release

          The Wayne State College baseball team landed seven players on the 2008 Northern Sun Conference All-Conference Baseball Team that was announced by the league office during the first round of the 2008 NSIC Baseball Tournament Thursday afternoon.  WSC had five players receive First Team honors to go with two Second Team selections.  The Wildcats also garnered three NSIC post-season awards as Nick Schumacher was named the 2008 NSIC Pitcher of the Year, Marc Manganaro shared NSIC Player of the Year honors with Northern State’s Adam Kampsen while freshman Nick Bidroski was selected the NSIC Co-Freshmen of the Year with Minnesota, Crookston’s Jake Poehler.

            Schumacher, a senior right-handed pitcher from Nebraska City, Nebraska, set a new WSC single season wins record this season for the Wildcats, going 12-1 so far with a 1.92 ERA, best in the NSIC.  In NSIC games, Schumacher was 8-1 in nine appearances (six starts) with four complete games, two shutouts and a 2.11 ERA.  He led the NSIC in wins and ERA and ranked second in strikeouts with 76. It’s the second time in Schumacher’s career that he has received the honor after being named the 2005 NSIC Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore.

            Manganaro, a senior first baseman from Laurel, Nebraska, led WSC in most offensive categories this season, hitting .404 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI’s.  His 69 hits, 60 runs scored and 58 RBI’s rank first in the NSIC.  It’s the second straight season Manganaro has collected First Team All-NSIC honors.

            Bidroski, a freshman second baseman from Omaha, Nebraska (Roncalli HS), hit .382 this season for Wayne State with two homers and 28 RBI’s.  He had the second-highest average for WSC in NSIC games posting a .390 average during 30 league games with two homers and 26 RBI’s.

            Other First Team All-NSIC selections for Wayne State included:   

            Mitch Herrick, a senior right-handed pitcher from Council Bluffs, Iowa, went 8-1 this season for Wayne State with a 2.65 ERA while pitching three complete games with one shutout.  He was a Second Team All-NSIC choice last season.  In NSIC games this season, Herrick was a perfect 5-0 in six starts with three complete games and one shutout.

            Alex Koch, a junior third baseman from Omaha, Nebraska (Millard South HS), led WSC in batting this season with a .411 average to rank third in the NSIC.  He was fourth in the NSIC in hits with 62 and has five homers and 42 RBI’s.

            Joe Wendte, a sophomore left fielder from Sioux City, Iowa (Heelan HS), was the NSIC Freshman of the Year last season and hit .353 for the Wildcats this season with five home runs and 42 RBI’s.  In NSIC games, Wendte recorded a .364 average with four homers and 26 RBI’s.

            Second Team All-NSIC selections for Wayne State included:

            Justin Hemauer, a junior outfielder from Moundsview, Minnesota, hit .352 for the Wildcats this season with three homers and 20 RBI’s from the leadoff position.  He led WSC in stolen bases with 16, which ranks second in the NSIC.  In NSIC games, Hemauer posted a .353 average with 24 runs scored, tied for second-most on the Wildcat squad.

            Sean Soderberg, a junior outfielder from Fremont, Nebraska, had one home run and 12 RBI’s while hitting .363 for the Wildcats this season.  In NSIC play, he recorded a solid .386 average in 26 league games.

            Wayne State won the NSIC regular season for a fifth straight season with a 24-6 league mark.  The 39-10 Wildcats, tied for 15^th in this week’s NCAA Division II Baseball Coaches Poll, are ranked second in the NCAA Central Region Rankings and on the verge of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for a fifth straight season.