Jackets’ Lewerke Named to All-Region Team (5/17/07)
 

BILLINGS, MT – Montana State Billings baseball player Ben Lewerke was named to the Daktronics NCAA Division II South Central Region Second Team that was announced Wednesday.  The senior left-handed pitcher from Mason City, Iowa is the Jackets’ first all-region selection in the program’s history.  Lewerke was one of only three players selected for the honor from the very competitive Heartland Conference.

Lewerke posted a 7-1 record in 10 appearances on the mound for the Yellowjackets in leading the team to a 24-26 overall and 16-20 record in the Heartland Conference.  Recording six straight wins for the Jackets, Lewerke finished the season ranked second in the Heartland with a 2.74 earned run average, and was ranked as high as tenth in the nation for ERA at one point in the season.

Lewerke played two seasons as a Yellowjacket after transferring from North Iowa Area Community College when the baseball program at MSUB was reinstated in 2006.  In two seasons the southpaw compiled an 8-5 record and a career ERA of 3.63, ranking him first in school history in both wins and earned run average.  Lewerke also tops the Jackets’ record books with 23 appearances, and in starting 17 games he posted a .875 winning percentage for the Yellowjackets.

Daktronics South Central Region First Team
SP        Keith Barrett                Ouachita Baptist
SP        Brett Durand                Delta State
SP        Justin Phillips                Harding
SP        Zach Wilbanks              Ouachita Baptist
RP        Jameson Maj                Abilene Christian
C         Breck Draper                Central Oklahoma
1B        Daniel Tankersley          Montevallo
2B        Skyler Stromsmoe         Southern Arkansas
SS        William Uechi               Abilene Christian
3B        Jeremy Haworth           Ouachita Baptist
OF       Chance Beasley            Ouachita Baptist
OF       J.D. Pruitt                    Montevallo
OF       Jareck West                 Delta State
DH       Bryce Columbus            Central Oklahoma
UT       Clay Calfee                  Angelo State

Daktronics South Central Region Second Team
SP       Brett McCullough          West Florida
SP       Justin Smith                Delta State
SP        Ben Lewerke                 Montana State Billings
SP       Tommy Vrzal               St. Mary’s
RP       Phil Lawhorn                West Florida
C        Matt Lenderman           Angelo State
1B       Destan Makonnen         Ouachita Baptist
2B       Clay Sartain                 Delta State
SS       Michael Pollock             Central Oklahoma
3B       Rob Dahlberg                West Alabama
OF       Michael Brzezinski         St. Mary’s
OF       Drew Caraway             Angelo State
OF       Adam Darby                 Harding
DH       Justin Pennell               Ouachita Baptist
UT       Steven Allred               Angelo State

Player of the Year – Chance Beasley, Ouachita Baptist
Pitcher of the Year – Justin Phillips, Harding