Ball State University Athletics
Three Baseball Players Earn NCAA Regional All-Tournament Honors
June 05, 2006 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Three Ball State baseball players were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances at last weekend's NCAA Regional in Lexington, Ky.
Sophomore pitcher Ben Snyder (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue H.S.), senior center fielder Mike Sullivan (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso H.S.) and senior third baseman C.J. Webb (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah H.S.) were each selected for the team.
Snyder pitched Ball State to a win in Friday's opening round game against No. 1 seed and eighth-ranked Kentucky. The left hander held the SEC regular season co-champion to one run and four hits in eight innings of work. Snyder struck out nine Kentucky batters while walking only two. He threw 75 of his 107 pitches for strikes in earning his eighth win of the season.
Sullivan finished Ball State's three tournament games with a .462 batting average, the second best among all players at the regional. He collected six hits -- tied for the most in the tournament -- in 13 plate appearances. Sullivan hit safely in every game, including a 3-for-5 effort at the plate in Sunday's loss to Kentucky. His single in the eighth inning scored two runs in the Cardinals' comeback attempt against the Wildcats.
Webb led all players at the regional with a .545 batting average, compiling six hits in 11 at bats during the three games. Webb went 2-for-4 in Friday's win over Kentucky and scored the Cardinals' first run of the tournament. In Sunday's elimination game against the Wildcats, Webb went 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored. He also hit safely in every tournament game.
Ball State was playing in its first NCAA Tournament since 1969 after winning its first Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship in school history. The Cardinals defeated Kentucky 3-1 on Friday, before falling 11-0 to College of Charleston on Saturday and 12-9 in a loser's bracket rematch with Kentucky on Sunday. Ball State finished the season with a 38-22 (16-9 MAC) record.
Regional Most Outstanding Player
Alex Garabedian, College of Charleston
All-Tournament Team
P - Ben Snyder, Ball State
P - Nick Chigges, College of Charleston
C - Alex Garabedian, College of Charleston
1B - Craig Cooper, Notre Dame
2B - John Shelby
3B - C.J. Webb, Ball State
SS - Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky
OF - Phillip Coker, College of Charleston
OF - Shaun Lehmann, Kentucky
OF - Alex Nettey, Notre Dame
OF - Mike Sullivan, Ball State
DH - Billy Grace, Kentucky
