May 13, 2015
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team had eight players earn All-Heartland Conference honors following the 2015 season, including First Team selection Mike Castro (Reynoldsburg). Seniors T.J. Devore (Grove City) and Tyler Spalding (Willis, Mich./Lincoln) along with sophomore Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) earned Second Team All-HCAC honors. Selected honorable mention were seniors Jeff Roth (Bellevue), Michael Alexander (Monroe), Brad Schlabach (Fredericksburg/Hiland) and sophomore Corey Johnson (Waverly).
A three-year starter at shortstop, Castro had a career year both at the plate and in the field. He rapped 53 hits which tied him for 16th on Bluffton's single-season list. Castro drove in 27 runs and scored 34 times, including 28 in conference contests (7th in the HCAC). The senior hit two home runs and eight doubles with a grand slam at Earlham in Bluffton's 12-3 win over the Quakers. His 126 assists established a new school mark for a season while his 340 career assists obliterated Todd Pickthorn's previous mark of 293. Castro also leads Bluffton's middle infielders with 52 double plays turned from his shortstop position.
T.J. Devore had a breakout campaign in his first year as a starter for the Beavers. The versatile Devore spent most of his time behind the plate, but he also showed off his arm when he started in right field early in the season. Devore hit .364 (10th in HCAC) with 36 RBI (9th in the HCAC and 8th all-time at Bluffton) and 30 runs scored. His 32 RBI in conference contests placed him 3rd in the HCAC. The senior smacked three homers and eight doubles in 2015.
Senior Tyler Spalding also made the most of his last season as a Beaver. Spalding established himself as the starting left fielder, compiling a .364 batting average thanks to a team-high 56 hits which were also 10th in the conference. His 56 hits tied him for 12th on Bluffton's single-season list. Spalding finished with a .351 career batting average (20th all-time at Bluffton). He added three triples this season which tied him for 9th in the HCAC. His .429 on-base percentage was 13th in the conference.
A First Team All-HCAC selection as well as the Freshman of the Year in 2014, Luke Hickey earned Second Team All-HCAC honors as a sophomore. Hickey hit .317 with 45 runs scored, 2nd all-time at Bluffton and 6th in the conference. His 15 doubles place him 3rd in the HCAC and tied for 4th all-time at Bluffton. Hickey drove in 25 runs, had an OBP of .415 and slugged .470 this season. He also drew a team-high 19 walks. Hickey is currently 19th all-time with a career batting average of .353 after two seasons. His 78 runs scored are 16th while his 26 doubles are tied for 15th. Hickey finished the season with 116 assists, second all-time to Castro who delivered 126 this year! He is already tied for 3rd on the career list with 50 double plays and his 182 career assists stand 12th all-time.
Senior Jeff Roth picked up his first All-Heartland Conference honor following another stellar season at the hot corner. He had his finest year offensively without question. Roth hit .343 (50 points higher than his career average) with 27 runs scored and 20 RBI. He had just seven errors all season while starting 14 double plays. He put down eight sacrifice bunts (tied for 3rd in a single season) which was 3rd in the conference. Roth's 239 assists are 6th all-time on the career list while his 31 double plays are tied for 10th all-time.
Michael Alexander also showed improvement in his final season as a Beaver. The right fielder hit .326 (40 points higher than he did as a junior) with 27 RBI and 23 runs scored. Alexander ripped three triples and 14 two-baggers (5th in the Heartland). The honorable mention selection stole five bases and finished with a .468 slugging percentage.
Senior Brad Schlabach secure his first All-Heartland Conference recognition following a superb season on the hill. He allowed just five free passes all year (0.69 walks for nine innings), establishing a new single-season mark in the process. His six wins tied him for second on Bluffton's single-season list for victories. For his career, Schlabach allowed just 1.97 walks per nine innings (3rd all-time) while his 11 wins placed him 10th all-time. He made 47 appearances (4th all-time) and started 22 games (tied for 14th all-time).
An superb sophomore campaign by Corey Johnson saw the southpaw earn honorable mention All-HCAC honors. Johnson went 4-3 with a 4.50 earned run average in 19 appearances (tied for 3rd on Bluffton's single-season list). He tossed 50 innings and also picked up two saves. His 8.10 strikeouts per nine innings has Johnson 14th all time on Bluffton's single-season chart and his 45 strikeouts are tied for 15th all-time. Johnson has also made his mark on the career strikeouts per nine innings list with an average of 7.74 (7th all-time).
In conjunction with the All-Heartland Conference awards, the conference has announced the All-HCAC Sportsmanship Team for the 2014. This award has been developed as part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-HCAC Sportsmanship team are selected by the coaches and their teammates as individuals who demonstrate the ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field/court of competition. Bluffton senior JAKE TOWNLEY (Mansfield/Madison) was recognized for his sportsmanship this season.
A record-setting 2015 campaign saw the Beavers win a school-record 22 games and a Bluffton-best 15 Heartland Conference contests. The Beaver defense had its finest season in school history, topping the charts with 1,030 putouts, 464 assists, 43 double plays and a .963 fielding percentage that was only bested by the 1974 team. Bluffton also set a new season mark with 15 saves, four more than the previous record set in 2014.
-BEAVERS-
