Baseball
2006 All-Conference Team

(Lebanon, Ill.) – The McKendree College baseball team won its seventh consecutive American Midwest Conference Tournament championship with a 9-4 victory Friday against Missouri Baptist University at Hypes Field in Lebanon, Ill. The Bearcats have won every AMC post-season baseball tournament since the 2000 season. By qualifying for Friday's AMC Tournament title game, both McKendree and Missouri Baptist have earned automatic bids to the NAIA Region V Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, May 10 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

For the third consecutive year, Brian Dinkelman of McKendree College has been selected as the AMC Player of the Year. Dinkelman, a senior shortstop from Irvington, Ill., batted .469 during the regular season with 15 home runs and 57 RBI. In addition, Dinkelman added 33 doubles (which leads the NAIA), 76 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. During the 2006 season, Dinkelman has become the NAIA's career leader in doubles, total bases, runs scored and fielding assists. He is tied for the NAIA career hits record, which he shares with former major leaguer Randy Velarde. Dinkelman holds or shares 25 McKendree baseball records.

Earning AMC Pitcher of the Year honors for the third straight year is Lance Marcum of McKendree College. Marcum, a senior right-hander from Centralia, Ill., posted a 10-1 record with an earned-run average of 1.78. In 78 innings of work, Marcum allowed just 63 hits with 78 strikeouts. Marcum is the Bearcats' career leader in victories, innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games and shutouts.

The 2006 Newcomer of the year is Scott Thomas of Missouri Baptist University. Thomas, a sophomore catcher from Town & Country, Mo., batted .451 with five home runs and 41 RBI in his first season as a member of the Spartans' baseball program.

Michael Hufty of William Woods University was chosen as the 2006 AMC Freshman of the Year. Hufty, a right-hander from Silex, Mo., had a perfect 6-0 record during the regular season with a 2.12 ERA. Hufty notched 27 strikeouts while walking just seven batters in 51 innings of work.

For the fifth time in the last seven years, Jim Boehne of McKendree College was named the AMC Coach of the Year. Now in his ninth season at McKendree, Boehne has led the Bearcats to a record of 360-157-1 (through regular-season action). Boehne won the award three consecutive seasons (2000-02) before earning the honor again in 2005.

A complete list of the 2006 AMC All-Conference team, the honorable mention squad and the Academic All-Conference team, is included on the following pages. Members of the Academic All-Conference team have earned at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

- AMC -

2006 AMC All-Conference Team
Baseball

First Team All-Conference

Honorable Mention All-Conference

2006 American Midwest Conference
Academic All-Conference Team