Six Yellowjackets Named to GNAC All-Conference Team

SPOKANE, Wash. – Six Montana State Billings baseball players were named to the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Conference Team, the conference office announced this week.  Brian Dukart and Kody Kennedy were named to the second team, while Jaret Chatwood, Jordan Kessler, Chris Round and Matt Schoonover were honorable mention selections.

Dukart, a native of Billings, hit .318 for his senior season earning him second team honors at second base.  He played in 44 games with 40 starts as he tallied 47 hits, which was good for third-most on the team.  Dukart had six doubles, one triple, one home run and 22 RBIs.   He earned GNAC Player of the Week honors this season.

Kennedy, a junior pitcher from Butte, Mont., also was named to the second team.  He led the Yellowjackets with a 4-5 record in 11 starts this season.  Kennedy was named GNAC Pitcher of the Week and was second on the team in innings pitched at a 59.2 clip.  He led the team in strikeouts with 54 as opponents hit just .217 against him.

Chatwood was the only Yellowjacket to play in all 46 games this season as he was third on the team in average at a .333 clip.  The junior transfer from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, was second on the team in hits with 52 and led the team with 13 doubles and four home runs to go along with a team-high 31 RBIs.  Chatwood played in 46 games and started 42 mainly behind the dish and third base.

The Broomfield, Colo., native, Kessler, had an equally impressive first season in a Yellowjacket uniform hitting .301 in the year in 39 games.  He tallied 44 hits, seven doubles, one home run and was second in RBIs with 23. 

In his final season in a Yellowjacket uniform, Round hit .321 in 37 games, mainly in right field.  He tallied 36 hits which was good for fourth on the team.  He belted nine doubles and three home runs to go along with 19 RBI.  He was the only Yellowjacket everyday starter to not commit an error all year.  He had 66 putouts and two assists in 68 chances, which was the fifth-most putouts on the team.

Schoonover has another all-conference performance as a senior as he has earned all-conference honors all four years for the Yellowjackets.  He led the team among everyday hitters with a .342 average with a team-high 53 hits in 44 games.  He was second on the team in doubles with 12, tied for the lead in triples with two and fourth in RBIs with 20.  He slugged .445 which was third-best on the team.

Western Oregon’s Kyle Boe and Jacob Pettit were named Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, this season and WOU head coach Jeremiah Robbins was named Coach of the Year.  The Wolves nearly made a sweep of the specialty awards as Daniel Dillard was named Newcomer of the Year and Northwest Nazarene’s Zeb Sneed was named Freshman of the Year.

WOU dominated the first team as the Wolves accounted for nine of the 16 spots.  NNU had four first team selections, while Saint Martin’s had two and Central Washington had one. 

2010 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM: Pitchers – +*Blake Keitzman, WOU (5-11, 180, Sr., Roseburg, OR); +*Jacob Pettit, WOU (6-3, 190, Sr., Orting, WA); +*Michael Ward, WOU (6-4, 230, Jr., Eugene, OR); Jesse Gwaltney, NNU (5-11, 200, Jr., Vancouver, WA). Relief Pitcher – Kalen Hruza, NNU (6-0, 206, Jr., Caldwell, ID). Catcher –+Jake Hammons, CWU (5-11, 185, Sr., Snohomish, WA). First Base – *+Jon Keller, NNU (6-1, 200, Sr., Eugene, OR). Second Base – +Grant Glover, WOU
(5-9, 170, Jr., McMinnville, OR). Shortstop - *Cesar Lopez, WOU (5-10, 185, Sr., Walla Walla, WA). Third Base - +Kyle Boe, WOU (6-2, 210, Sr., Burlington, WA). Infielder – Travis Jones, SMU (5-10, 220, So., Mililani, HI). Designated Hitter - +*Jason Moseby, WOU (6-3, 195, Sr., Bellevue, WA). Outfielders –+Daniel Dillard, WOU (6-3, 200, Jr., Olalla, WA); +Sean McDonald, NNU (5-9, 165, So., Boise, ID); Devon Bouvier, WOU (6-2, 205, Sr., Kennewick, WA);
Andrew Elke, SMU (5-7, 160, Jr., St. Charles, IL). *Repeater (Lopez and Ward from 2008) +Unanimous.

SECOND TEAM: Pitchers – Kody Kennedy, MSUB (5-10, 175, Jr., Butte, MT); Michael McIver, SMU (6-10, 235, Jr., Olympia, WA); James Douglas, SMU (6-0, 190, Jr., Rochester, WA). Relief Pitcher – Kirk Lind, WOU (5-11, 215, So., Vancouver, WA). Catcher – Garrett Breda, WOU (5-10, 175, Sr., Bothell, WA).  First Base – Greg Christensen, NNU (5-9, 215, Sr., Rupert, ID). Second Base – Brian Dukart, MSUB (5-9, 170, Sr., Billings, MT); Ryan VanBeek, NNU
(5-11, 220, Jr., Yakima, WA). Shortstop – Cameron Louie, NNU (SS, 5-9, 165, Jr., Boise, ID). Third Base – Josh Grenier, SMU (5-10, 180, So., Tumwater, WA). Designated Hitter – Kevin Walkenhauer, CWU (6-1, 175, Sr., Yakima, WA). Outfielders – Ty Windall, NNU (5-8, 155, Jr., Davis, CA); Anthony Sanelli, CWU (5-10, 175, Sr., Carnation, WA); Ricky McKinney, CWU (6-1, 200, Sr., Aberdeen, WA).

HONORABLE MENTION: Pitchers – J.T. Brodrick (6-6, 205, Jr., Casper, WY). Catcher – Connor Rankin, NNU (6-2, 220, Sr., Lake Forest Park, WA); Luke Abbott, SMU (6-0, 230, Sr., Winlock, WA). First Base – Cody Reeves, WOU (5-10, 170, Sr., Nine Mile Falls, WA). Shortstop – Matt Schoonover, MSUB (5-11, 185, Sr., Great Falls, MT). Third Base – Jaret Chatwood, MSUB (5-10, 175, Jr., Red Deer, ALB); Joel Oliver (6-0, 215, Sr., Menifee, CA); Kevin Schneider,
CWU (5-11, 190, Sr., Spokane, WA). Designated Hitter – Jordan Kessler, MSUB (5-9, 180, Jr., Broomfield, CO); Michael McIver, SMU (6-10, 235, Jr., Olympia, WA). Outfielders - Chris Round, MSUB (6-1, 210, Sr., Billings, MT); Chance Plutt, CWU (5-11, 195, Jr., Dillon, MT).