The Midwest Collegiate Conference announced its 2010 baseball all-conference honors Friday morning.
The Vikings, which won the MCC tournament championship last week and tied for the regular season title, placed one player on the All-Conference First-Team. Four Vikings were selected to the Honorable Mention team and head coach Lou Yacinich was named co-Head Coach of the Year with Iowa Wesleyan's Brett Monaghan.
Senior outfielder Jeff Brooks (Forest Lake, MN) was selected to All-Conference First-Team after finishing the season with a .304 batting average. On the year Brooks started 41 times for the Vikings, ending the season as the team-leader in home runs with seven. To go along with his seven home runs, Brooks hit five doubles, a slugging percentage of .496 and team high 32 RBIs.
Senior outfielder Cory Burnes (Tama, IA), senior infielder Chris Cutler (Des Moines, IA) and senior outfielder Marc Mericle (West Des Moines, IA) were selected to the Honorable Mention team as position players. Sophomore Jason Davila (Plantation, FL) was selected to the Honorable Mention team as a pitcher.
Burnes, who started all 47 games this season, was a spark plug at the top of the Vikings line-up. This season Burnes led the team in batting average (.328), runs scored (37) and total hits (58). Burnes also ended his senior season with four home runs, 30 RBIs and 13 doubles.
Third basemen Chris Cutler made the Honorable Mention team after hitting .322 on the season. He also recorded 47 hits, five of which were home runs. To go along with his batting statistics, Cutler finished with a fielding percentage of .965. Cutler's fielding percentage was recognized by the conference as well, as he was selected to the MCC Gold Glove team. The Gold Glove team was comprised of ten players and recognizes players for their outstanding defensive performance on the season.
Mericle, started 46 times for the Vikings, ended the season with a team-high .509 slugging percentage. On the year Mericle recorded five home runs and drove home 31 runs. The Viking outfielder finished with a team-best 14 doubles and was second in total hits with 53.
Relief pitcher Jason Davila was selected to the Honorable Mention team as a pitcher. Davila, who broke the Vikings single season saves record this season, recorded his ten saves in 22 appearances. Davila pitched 25 1/3 innings, striking out 19 batters and allowing a opponent's batting average of .189.
The Vikings overall record of 29-18 and conference mark of 17-6 helped earn head Lou Yacinich earn his sixth Midwest Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year honor. Yacinich, in his 35th season at the helm of the Vikings, was selected the same honor in five consecutive seasons from 1997-2001. This season's conference championship marks Yacinich's sixth time he has led Grand View to the top spot in the conference.
