May 23, 2006

Chicago, Ill.- UIC Head Coach Mike Dee was named Horizon League Coach of the Year for a league-record sixth time at the annual Horizon League Baseball Championship banquet, highlighting a night that saw junior shortstop Chad Schroeder take home Newcomer of the Year honors and a league-leading seven Flames earn All-Horizon League nods.

Dee was named Coach of the Year for an unprecedented sixth time in eight seasons at UIC after guiding the Flames to a 34-18 overall record in 2006 en route to the program's fifth consecutive regular season conference championship.

UIC has posted seven straight 30-plus win seasons under Dee, who has built the program into a perennial Horizon League favorite after leading the Flames to two Horizon League Tournament titles and two NCAA Regional berths in the last three seasons.

Schroeder earned the Newcomer of the Year award after hitting .318 with three home runs, nine stolen bases and 28 RBI in his first season in the league. The junior shortstop started 50 games at the position, solidifying the league's top defense while providing a dangerous bat.

The All-Horizon League First Team was packed with a league-best five UIC players, as senior outfielder Bart Babineaux, junior right-hander Zach Peterson, sophomore second baseman Mark Hallberg, junior outfielder Larry Gempp Jr., and senior catcher Justin Johnson earned 2006 First Team honors.

Babineaux, a 2005 All-Horizon League Second Team selection, earned First Team honors this season after leading the league in home runs (18) and RBI (64). The slugger broke the UIC single-season home run record this past Friday at Wright State when he launched his 18th round-tripper of the year to eclipse Frank Provenzano's 21-year-old mark.

Peterson was the league's best starting pitcher in the regular season. The third-year UIC hurler posted an 8-3 record, tied for the league lead in victories, to go with his league bests in ERA (2.10), innings pitched (98.2) and strikeouts (66).

Hallberg, who earned 2005 All-Horizon League First Team accolades as a first baseman, made a smooth transition to second base while continuing his hot hitting and patient eye. The sophomore infielder is hitting .371 after starting all 52 games for UIC and is ranked as the nation's toughest hitter to strike out by fanning only six times in 205 at-bats.

Another repeat First Team selection is Gempp, who hit .332 in 51 games while hitting a career-high nine homers and scoring 57 runs. Gempp drove in 39 runs and stole six bases along the way.

After sitting out last season recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Johnson looked better than ever by hitting .397, slugging a career-high 11 homers and tallying 56 RBI. The senior catcher also doubled 17 times and legged out three triples to lead UIC in extra-base hits (31).

UIC also featured two on the All-Horizon League Second Team, as junior designated hitter Ben Trotter joined teammate Schroeder on the squad.

Trotter ranks 26th in the batting average, hitting at an even .400 clip. He drove in 32 runs while scoring 28 runs in 39 games.

Schroeder and junior left-hander Joe Skinner were also named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.

Skinner went 7-5 with a 3.81 ERA in his first season on the mound with the Flames. The southpaw posted a 6-2 record and a 2.91 ERA against league foes during the year.

UIC begins defense of its Horizon League Tournament Championship this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Central against an opponent to be determined at Nischwitz Stadium in Fairborn, Ohio.