2011 Baseball - Creighton University Bluejays

The Creighton baseball program has produced 14 All-Americans in itsproud history, including three in 2007 as the Bluejays made their eighthNCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Four players have earnedfirst-team All-America status in the program’s history and in 1991, ScottStahoviak was named the National Player of the Year after leading the Jaysto their only appearance in the College World Series.The school’s first All-American was catcher Scott Servais in 1988. He wasa third-team selection by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. Hewas considered one of the top defensive catchers in the college game andwent on to play for the United States in the 1988 PanAm games. Servaisenjoyed an 11-year major league career with four different teams.Creighton’s most successful three-year period in school history from1990 to 1992 came with plenty of individual recognition nationally. In 1990,Dan Smith was honored as a first-team All-American by the AmericanBaseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Baseball America magazine afterleading Creighton to its first NCAA Regional appearance since 1973.The following season, third baseman Scott Stahoviak was named theNational Player of the Year by the ABCA and also earned first-team All-America honors from both the ABCA and Baseball America after leading theBluejays to the 1991 College World Series by batting .449 (120-267) with74 RBIs. Stahoviak was also named the MVC Player of the Year as a juniorand went on to play five seasons in the Major Leagues for the MinnesotaTwins.Joining Servais as an All-American on the 1991 team was senior startingpitcher Mike Heathcott. He won a school-record 15 games to earn secondteamAll-America status from Collegiate Baseball, logging a Creighton-record132 innings.In 1992, outfielder Chad McConnell was a consensus first-team All-American after leading Creighton its third consecutive NCAA Regionalappearance, marking the third straight season the Jays had a first-team All-American.Third baseman Ryan Gripp became the fourth player to earn first-teamAll-America status in the 1990s, as he garnered the honor from the ABCAin 1999. Also a Baseball America Second-Team All-American, he led the Jaysto the South Bend (Ind.) Regional, Creighton’s first NCAA Tournamentberth since 1992.Joining Gripp on the 1999 squad was do-it-all utility man Peyton Lewis.He earned second-team accolades from both Collegiate Baseball and theNational Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Lewis was the1999 MVC Pitcher of the Year and also batted .339 with 19 home runs asa DH. Four future All-Americans dotted the roster in 2004: Steve Grasley,Tony Roth, Zach Daeges and Scott Reese. Grasley earned third-teamNCBWA honors that season, while Roth was a third-team selection by theABCA. Reese would go on to be the second consecutive NCBWA thirdteamselection for the Jays in 2005. Daeges brought home second-teamAll-America honors by the NCBWA in 2006.In 2007, a trio of pitchers extended Creighton’s streak to four consecutiveseasons with at least one All-American. Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Vendittegarnered the most attention, earning All-America accolades from four differentnational media outlets, including three second-team nods and one thirdteamselection. Starting pitcher Ben Mancuso, the 2007 MVC Pitcher of theYear, earned third-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball whilesenior reliever Andy Masten received second-team All-America recognitionfrom the NCBWA.Scott Servais (1986-88), CThird-Team All-America, Baseball AmericaThird-Team All-America, Collegiate Baseball1988AVG AB H R 2B 3B HR RBI SB.295 61 207 36 17 2 8 28 5Catcher Scott Servais (1986-88) became Creighton’s first All-American in 1988, as a third-teampick by both Baseball America andCollegiate Baseball.Mike Heathcott (1988-91), RHPSecond Team All-America,Collegiate Baseball1991ERA W-L Sv CG Sho IP BB K3.95 15-3 0 7 1 132.0 68 87Mike Heathcott (1988-91) achievedsecond-team All-America statusfrom Collegiate Baseball in 1991 aftersetting school records with 15 winsand 132 IP.Scott Stahoviak (1989-91), 3B-1BFirst Team All-America, Baseball AmericaFirst Team All-America, Collegiate BaseballFirst Team All America, ABCAABCA National Player of the Year1992AVG AB H R 2B 3B HR RBI SB.397 209 83 64 19 3 12 67 29After Scott Stahoviak’s (1989-91)stellar year in 1991, he was draftedin the first round by the MinnesotaTwins. He played five years with acareer average of .256 for the Twins.2011 BaseballBluejay All-AmericansDan Smith (1988-90), LHPFirst-Team All-America, Baseball AmericaFirst-Team All-America, ABCA1990ERA W-L Sv CG Sho IP BB K1.96 14-3 0 12 5 119.2 48 134Pitcher Dan Smith (1988-90) earnedfirst-team All-America honors fromboth Baseball America and the ABCAin 1990 after going 14-3 with a 1.96ERA.Chad McConnell (1990-92). OFFirst Team All-America, Baseball AmericaFirst Team All America, ABCA1992AVG AB H R 2B 3B HR RBI SB.397 209 83 64 19 3 12 67 29Chad McConnell (1990-92) was aconsensus first-team All-Americanin 1992 after leading CU to its thirdstraight NCAA Regional with 14home runs and 73 RBIs.Ryan Gripp (1997-99), 3BFirst Team All America, ABCA1999AVG AB H R 2B 3B HR RBI SB.395 233 92 78 24 0 24 84 1Third baseman Ryan Gripp (1997-99) was an ABCA First-Team All-American in 1999 after hitting .395with 84 RBIs and a school-record 24home runs.Creighton Baseball Meet the Staff Meet the Players Opponents 2010 in Review Records and History This is Creighton79