May 22, 2007

PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Two Michigan State baseball players, Steve Gerstenberger and Jon Kibler, have earned All-Big Ten honors, the conference office announced Tuesday afternoon. Gerstenberger, who led MSU with a .368 batting average and hit at a .378 clip during Big Ten games, was named to the second team as a second baseman. Kibler went 4-3 in seven Big Ten starts and was seventh in the league with a 3.92 ERA during conference games to garner third-team accolades. In addition, senior starting pitcher Craig Brookes was named MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

Gerstenberger, a junior, made the unique transition from first base to second base this season. He started 45 games at first in 2006, and started all 51 games for head coach David Grewe at second base this spring. Gerstenberger finished the conference season ranked third in the Big Ten with 48 hits and 10th with a .378 batting average. Through the end of the regular season, the Fort Gratiot, Mich., native ranked fifth in the Big Ten in hits (77) and 10th in batting (.368), both marking career highs.

Gerstenberger closed the season on a 12-game hitting streak, hitting for a .475 average (28-for-59) during that stretch. His 77 hits tied for eighth best in an MSU single-season, and he also registered career highs in runs (37), doubles (14), RBI (31), on-base percentage (.408) and stolen bases (11).

Steve Gerstenberger batted a career-best .368 as a junior this season.

Gerstenberger will play in the Northwoods League this summer for the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

Kibler, a junior college transfer from Dundalk Community College, jumped right into the Big Ten starting rotation for Coach Grewe. The 6-5, 210-pound lefty led the Spartan pitching staff with five wins and three complete games. In conference games, he was seventh in the league with a 3.92 ERA to go along with his 4-3 record in 41.1 innings pitched. Overall, Kibler went 5-5 with a 4.34 ERA in 12 appearances and 11 starts in 66.1 innings.

The Freeland, Md., native threw three complete games in the Big Ten season, garnering victories against Indiana, Penn State and Ohio State. Kibler allowed just two runs, one earned, on eight hits in his first career Big Ten start, a win over the Hoosiers on March 31. He tossed a three-hit, one-run complete game at home vs. Penn State on April 15, and allowed just five hits and one run in a win at Ohio State May 5. Kibler also beat Northwestern on May 12.

Kibler will pitch for the Weatherford Wranglers in the Texas Collegiate League this summer.

The conference office also announced honorees from each of the league's 10 baseball squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Honorees for baseball are Illinois' Shawn Roof, Indiana's Jon Fixler, Iowa's Casey O'Rourke, Michigan's Eric Rose, Michigan State's Craig Brookes, Minnesota's Dan Lyons, Northwestern's Caleb Fields, Ohio State's Jacob Howell, Penn State's Seth Whitehill and Purdue's Ryne White.

These 10 student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.

The Michigan State baseball team finished the 2007 season with a 25-26 overall record, and placed seventh in the Big Ten at 15-16.

COMPLETE ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM
1B - Ryne White, PUR#
2B - Kevin Cislo, MICH
SS - Jason White, IOWA
3B - Nate Hanson, MINN
OF - Travis Sweet, IOWA
OF - Mike Mee, MINN
OF - Matt Nohelty, MINN
DH - Zach Putnam, MICH
C - Lars Davis, ILL
SP - Zach Putnam, MICH
SP - Mike Wilson, MICH
SP - Cory Luebke, OSU#
SP - Craig Clark, PSU
RP - Drew O'Neil, PSU

SECOND TEAM
1B - Nate Recknagel, MICH
2B - Steve Gerstenberger, MSU
SS - Jason Christian, MICH
3B - Jake Owens, NU
OF - Andrew Means, IND
OF - Caleb Curry, IOWA
OF - Eric Rose, MICH
DH - Antonio Mulé, NU
C - Eric Fryer, OSU
SP - Tanner Roark, ILL
SP - Nick Erdman, IOWA
SP - Seth Whitehill, PSU
SP - Matt Bischoff, PUR
RP - Josh Oslin, MINN

THIRD TEAM
1B - Justin Miller, OSU
2B - Justin Toole, IOWA
SS - Dan Lyons, MINN
3B - Adam Abraham, MICH
OF - Doug Pickens, MICH*
OF - Matt Angle, OSU*
OF - J.B. Shuck, OSU*
OF - Brian Ernst, PSU*
DH - Daniel Webb, ILL
C - Joe Blackburn, PSU
SP - Chris Fetter, MICH
SP - Andrew Hess, MICH
SP - Jon Kibler, MSU
SP - Tony Sedlmeyer, PUR
RP - Kyle Carr, MINN

Player of the Year:  Lars Davis, ILL
Pitcher of the Year:  Cory Luebke, OSU
Freshman of the Year:  Matt Bischoff, PUR
Coach of the Year:  Rich Maloney, MICH

# Unanimous Selection
* Additional honorees due to ties

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees:  Shawn Roof, ILL; Jon Fixler, IND; Casey O'Rourke, IOWA; Eric Rose, MICH; Craig Brookes, MSU; Dan Lyons, MINN; Caleb Fields, NU; Jacob Howell, OSU; Seth Whitehill, PSU; Ryne White, PUR