IWU’s Mardis named CCIW Baseball Player of Year

Posted on May 17, 2016

By WJBC Staff

NAPERVILLE – Illinois Wesleyan senior infielder Matthew Mardis was chosen as the Baseball Player of the Year in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin, selected by the CCIW’s head baseball coaches during their end-of-the-year meeting and announced Monday.

PODCAST: Listen to WJBC’s interview with Mardis.

Mardis was also chosen to the first team of the all-conference squads, along with junior shortstop Jarrod Juskiewicz while sophomore second baseman Gino Cavalieri was chosen to the second team.

In 20 conference games this season, Mardis was second in the league with a .456 batting average and tied for the league lead with 28 runs batted in. He also had 11 doubles, four home runs and scored 18 runs. It is the tenth time for an Illinois Wesleyan player to earn the league’s top honor and the first since Kevin Callahan won the award three straight years from 2011 to 2013. Illinois Wesleyan winners prior to that were second baseman Ricky Angel (2007), pitcher Cory Lapinski (2005), pitcher Steve Schilsky (2001), pitcher Nathan Knuffman (1998), catcher Mike Brown (1991) and outfielder James Shaw (1980).

Juskiewicz (Palatine, Ill./ Palatine HS) hit .365 in 19 CCIW games with 11 doubles, two homers and 21 RBI.

Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./ Fenwick HS) was fourth in the CCIW with a .443 average. He had seven doubles, four homers and scored 21 runs.

Augustana senior Walter White was named CCIW Pitcher of the Year as he went 4-0 with a 2.53 ERA iand led the conference with 51 strikeouts.

Wheaton freshman outfielder Nick Mailman was the CCIW Newcomer of the Year and the only freshman on the all-conference first team. He batted .395 with 23 runs, 14 RBI, nine doubles and two triples.

Augustana head coach Greg Wallace was named the CCIW Coach of the Year for the third time after leading his team to a share of the conference regular season title. The Vikings won the CCIW Tournament and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, their second trip in four years.

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