Contact: Amber Cox, AMC Director of Information
573/ 441-8685 (Phone & Fax)

Columbia, Mo. - Just as it did in the regular-season, the Missouri Baptist College baseball team conquered its league opponents to take home the 1999 American Midwest Conference (AMC) post-season tournament title. In the first post-season baseball competition in league history, the Spartans defeated McKendree College, who was seeded #2 in the tournament, 6-5 in the championship match-up, to claim the title. In addition to recording 1999 regular-season and post-season championships, the Missouri Baptist squad snagged 11 of the 16 First-Team All-Conference slots and seized Player, Pitcher, Newcomer and Coach of the Year honors as well.

In a vote by league coaches, Julio Campos, a shortstop for Missouri Baptist, has been chosen the 1999 American Midwest Conference (AMC) Player of the Year. The junior from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico recorded a batting average of .413, racking up a new school record of 76 hits in 184 at-bats during the regular-season. Campos also turned in 18 doubles, six triples, six home runs and 34 runs batted in. He led the league in stolen bases with 31 and recorded a fielding averaged of .950, committing only 10 errors in 50 games played.

Leonel Santiago, also a member of the Missouri Baptist squad, has been named the 1999 AMC Pitcher of the Year. Santiago took the mound for the Spartans 15 times during the regular-season, pitching 91 innings and recording 9 wins. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Santiago struck out 77 batters, while giving up only 22 walks. He also finished the regular-season with the best earned run average in the AMC at 2.97.

The AMC Newcomer of the Year honor is presented to the top transfer student-athlete in the AMC. Hector Santiago, another member of the Spartan pitching staff, is the 1999 recipient of this award. During the regular-season, Santiago, who hails from Vega Baia, Puerto Rico, made 20 appearances for Missouri Baptist, pitching in 41 innings. He compiled five wins and fours saves for the Spartans and turned in an earned run average of 4.17 for the regular-season. In addition, Santiago struck out 61 of the 154 batters he faced.

Eddie Breuchaud, a pitcher and outfielder for the McKendree College Bearcats, is the 1999 AMC Freshman of the Year. A native of Greenville, Ill., Breuchaud appeared on the mound 10 times for the Bearcats in the regular-season, pitching in 51.1 innings and compiling five wins. He recorded an earned run average of 4.03 and totaled 43 strikeouts. Offensively, Breuchaud stepped to the plate 160 times, collecting 56 hits and recording a batting average of .356. Breuchaud accumulated 10 doubles in the regular-season and tied for the lead in the AMC in home runs with nine. As an outfielder for the Bearcats, Breuchaud recorded a fielding average of .978, committing only two errors in 47 games played.

 The 1999 AMC Coach of the Year for men's baseball is Andy Carter from Missouri Baptist College. Carter led the Spartans to a 1999 regular-season record of 36 wins and 14 losses. Under Carter's direction, Missouri Baptist claimed its second consecutive AMC regular-season title, going 14-2 in league play.