May 22, 2006

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

2006 All-MVC Baseball Teams

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University placed six student-athletes on the 2006 All-Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Teams, announced today by the league office.

Grant Gerrard was the only Saluki named to the first-team, while five others, including Kevin Koski, Erik Alvarez, Scott Elmendorf, Jordan Powell and Dusty Baker earned honorable mention accolades.

SIU's starting right fielder and top power threat, Gerrard garners all-conference honors for the first time in his career.

A native of Castle Rock, Colo., he is hitting a second-best .341 on the club, as one of three Saluki outfielders who have started every game. He tops SIU with 53 RBI and ranks among conference individuals in runs scored (t4th, 53 runs), walks (3rd, 38 BB) and RBI (2nd).

Koski, a 2005 first-team all-conference pick, takes honorable mention laurels for the Dawgs this season.

A three-year starter in the outfield, Koski is hitting .306 with 55 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, a home run and 29 RBI. The Schaumburg, Ill., product also had a school record 36-game hitting streak that ended against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 11.

Like Gerrard, Alvarez, Elmendorf, Powell and Baker also earn all-conference recognition for the first time in their Saluki careers.

Alvarez, a senior out of Miami, Fla., is hitting .303 with 28 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs and 49 RBI as SIU's starting first baseman. His 49 runs batted in rank second on the team, while his five long balls tie Gerrard for the team-high.

Elmendorf, who was a candidate for the Valley's Freshman-of-the-Year award, has led SIU in hitting ever since the Middle Tennessee State series (Mar. 10-12).

Elmendorf hails from Newburgh, Ind., and hits .353 with a team-high 23 multiple-hit games as the Dawgs' utility player. His batting average and .451 on-base percentage rank seventh and fourth in the Valley, respectively.

Powell, a junior transfer out of Danville Community College, is the ace of the Saluki pitching staff. He is currently 6-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 13 starts. Powell has also worked 98.1 innings for the Dawgs this season, the second-most of any pitcher in the MVC.

Baker transferred to SIU from Olney Central Community College, and he holds a team-leading 6-1 record with a 3.14 ERA and six saves in 28 appearances. He also struck out 21 in 28.2 innings en route to moving into a tie for fourth with Jim Pecoraro (1998) on the school's all-time single-season appearances list.