Baseball Hands Out Team Awards

YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University baseball team has voted on its team awards for the 2008 season, first-year head coach Jake Boss Jr. announced. The six awards and nomination of captainship were voted on by the players returning for the 2009 season.

Senior Steve Bradshaw (Lapeer, Mich.-West) was voted as the team’s Most Valuable Player, as well as the winner of the Eagles’ Spirit and Leadership award. Bradshaw, a member of the Mid-American Conference All-Tournament team, has led the Eagles in hitting the past three seasons. He batted .382 and led the Green and White in hits (86), doubles (21), RBI (56), slugging (.560), put-outs (509) and fielding percentage (.994). In the season series finale against Central Michigan, Bradshaw became just the 10th player in EMU history to record 200 career hits. He was also named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team, graduating with a 3.37 GPA as a construction management major.

The Most Valuable Pitcher award went to junior Sean Hoffman (Midland, Mich.-Midland). Hoffman was 5-3 on the year with a 6.49 ERA. He led the team in innings pitched (97.0) and strikeouts (56), making 19 appearances and 15 starts on the year. He pitched a complete game against Western Michigan in the first round of the MAC Tournament, and came back on just two days rest to take the hill in the championship game against Kent State University, helping lead the Eagles to a 12-4 win.

Newcomer of the Year went to true freshman Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley). Leonard carried a second-best .348 batting average, starting 54 of 57 games played at third base for the Eagles. The MAC Tournament MVP had 79 hits and 17 doubles on the year. His nine home runs and 51 RBI were good for first and second on the team respectively.

True freshman Jake Stapf (Hamilton, Ohio-Stephen T. Badin) was the recipient of the Most Improved Player award. Stapf posted a 3-4 record on the year with a 6.68 ERA. He was a spot starter in the EMU rotation during the early part of the 2008 season, but worked his way to the No. 3 man by year’s end. In the semi-final game of the MAC Tournament against Ohio, Stapf threw eight and two-thirds innings, scattering six hits while striking out six Bobcat batters en route to a 9-6 win and a championship game berth.

The Scholar Athlete award went to senior Dan Puls (Alpena, Mich.-Alpena). Puls, an accounting major that graduated with a 3.97 GPA and will attend the University of Michigan in the fall to start work on his master’s in accountancy, tallied a 4-4 record with a 5.52 ERA. Making 31 appearances as a middle-relief pitcher, Puls carded 44.0 innings of work, striking out 33 on the year. He also picked up two saves during the MAC Tournament.

Two Green and White juniors were selected as co-captains of the 2009 team. Hoffman and Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) will look to carry forward the tradition set before them by past Eagle greats.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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