The Eastern baseball team is continuing to receive recognition for it’s successful season with the recent announcement of three individual award winners.

Shortstop Jordan Kreke was named a third-team All-American, and right fielder Zach Borenstein was designated a Freshman All-American. Additionally, Pitcher Brian Morrell was named a first-team Academic All-American after maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Kreke received third-team honors after being named this season’s OVC Player of the Year. He was one of five players from the OVC voted to the third-team by the writers of Collegiate Baseball.

The senior shortstop led the Panthers with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, and 59 RBIs this season. He also hit a team-best .536 with runners in scoring position, and compiled hitting streaks of 11 and 14 games during the 2009 season.

Kreke won the OVC Player of the Week award more times than any other player since 1988, when the league began recording award winners. He won the award three times, all in a five-week span from March to April. During that stretch, Kreke tied an Eastern single-game record with eight RBI’s in a win over Tennessee Tech.

Borenstein became the third Panther in history to be named a Freshman All-American. The right fielder led the OVC with a .506 on-base percentage, courtesy of drawing a tem-best 29 walks. His .394 batting average was also the best among OVC freshmen.

Borenstein reached base in all 19 of his games a the team’s leadoff hitter, a role he assumed after OVC Preseason Player of the Year Brett Nommensen left the lineup on April 10 with a wrist injury. For the whole season, Borenstein reached base in 35 of his 36 games.

The selection of Morrell as an Academic All-American makes the 2009 season the third consecutive in which the Panthers have had a player win that honor. Morrell was designated a second-team All-American last season; with this year’s award, he becomes only the fifth Panther since 1980 to win the award twice.

The senior pitcher finished his Eastern career 10-5 with four saves and 105 strikeouts in 61 appearances, 49 of which came in the last two seasons. Opponents hit .254 against him.

Morrell maintained a 4.0 GPA in biological sciences through his senior season. With his career at Eastern over, he plans on pursuing a career in physical therapy.

Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7943 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.

Senior shortstop Jordan Kreke runs for home during a game against SIU-Edwardsville. Kreke was named a third-team All-American. (File Photo)

(more…)