All-MIAC Baseball Teams

WINONA, Minn. — In his first three seasons as a member of the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team, Willie Doll (Amherst, Wis.) has made his presence felt on the diamond—both at the plate and in the field.
 
And the Cardinal junior continues to make his presence felt on the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference podium, as well.
 
For the second straight season, Doll was named First-Team All-MIAC, while also landing his third consecutive MIAC All-Defensive Team honor, the conference office announced Wednesday.
 
Doll had plenty of company when the MIAC announced its post-season awards, as Ben Buerkle (Roseville, Minn.) and Tyler Lursen (Maple Grove, Minn.) joined him on the All-MIAC First Team, while Drew Denning (St. Paul, Minn.) and Ben Johnson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) were All-Defensive Team selections.
 
Saint John's catcher Kurt Jantscher was named the MIAC's Max Molock Most Valuable Player, while Bethel's Joe Zorn and Esteban Velasco were tabbed the league's Mike Augustin Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively, and Royals' head coach Brian Raabe earned the MIAC's Jim Dimick Coach of the Year honors.
 
Doll started all 18 conference games for the Cardinals, who finished 9-9 in league play and were eliminated from post-season contention on the final day of the regular season. The junior outfielder hit .356 (26-for-73) with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 11 RBIs. He scored 23 runs, walked a team-high 10 times and finished with 11 stolen bases on 13 attempts. In the field, he made 34 putouts and collected three assists in 35 chances.
 
For the season, Doll started all 36 games in centerfield, compiling a .386 batting average (54-for-140), while scoring 44 runs. He belted nine doubles, one triple and three home runs, while boasting 25 RBIs, 74 total bases, a .529 slugging percentage and a .452 on-base percentage. Doll finished the year with a team-best 21 stolen bases—two shy of his single-season record, set during the 2014 season.
 
Buerkle proved to be opposing pitchers' worst nightmare, the Cardinal sophomore outfielder—the MIAC Rookie of the Year a year ago—hit a team-best .493 in 18 MIAC contests. He recorded 34 hits—including at least one hit in 17 of 18 conference games—with six doubles, one triple, and a team-leading five home runs. Buerkle scored 23 runs, collected 29 RBIs, owned an .826 slugging percentage, and shared the team lead in stolen bases with Doll, swiping 11 bases on 12 attempts.
 
As good as Buerkle was in conference play, he was even better overall, leading the team in virtually every offensive category, including batting average (.462), hits (61), runs (46), doubles (11), triples (4), home runs (7), RBIs (47), total bases (101), slugging percentage (.765), and on-base percentage (.517). Buerkle—who hit for a doubleheader cycle vs. Carleton on April 25, recording two singles, a double, a triple and a home run, not to mention nine RBIs—had at least one hit in 34 of the team's 36 games this season, while reaching base safely in 35 of the Cardinals' 36 contests. In his first two seasons, Buerkle—who set single-season school records with his 46 runs and 47 RBIs—has put together season-opening hitting streaks of 20 and 15 games, respectively, has had at least one hit in 71 of the 76 games he's played, and has been held off the base paths just twice in 76 career games.
 
Lursen enjoyed a career year in 2015, starting all 18 games behind the plate. He was second to Buerkle in batting average, hitting .381 (24-for-63) in conference play, while adding seven doubles, three home runs, 11 runs, 19 RBIs, 40 total bases, a .635 slugging percentage, and a .426 on-base percentage. Lursen appeared in 31 overall games, posting a .462 batting average (41-for-101), with 10 doubles, a triple and four home runs. The sophomore catcher delivered 27 RBIs, while compiling a .644 slugging percentage and a .459 on-base percentage.
 
Denning and Johnson also enjoyed banner seasons in 2015. Denning appeared in all 18 conference games, hitting .275 (14-for-51) with four doubles, a home run, 11 runs scored, and eight RBIs, while boasting a .987 fielding percentage from second base, recording 34 put outs and 54 assists in 91 chances. For the season, Denning his .274 (26-for-95) in 34 games, with nine doubles and three home runs—the first three of his collegiate career—while posting 66 put outs and 75 assists in 142 overall chances.
 
Johnson, meanwhile, posted a 4-2 record with a 4.72 ERA in six conference starts on the mound. He recorded his first collegiate shutout—and third collegiate complete game—with a six-hit gem in a 2-0 win over Gustavus on April 11—and struck out 18 in 34 1/3 innings work. He also posted two put outs and 18 assists in 21 chances. Overall, Johnson made 10 starts in his junior campaign, compiling a 5-2 record and a 4.71 ERA in 49 2/3 innings.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the eighth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for baseball, which included Saint Mary's Kevin Miley (St. Paul, Minn.).