May 22, 2007
ANN ARBOR, MI – Five University of Iowa baseball players were honored by the Big Ten Conference Tuesday by being named all-Big Ten selections. Jason White and Travis Sweet were both named to the first team, while Caleb Curry and Nick Erdman were named to the second team and Justin Toole was selected to the third team.
The five selections ties an Iowa record for most all-Big Ten players in a season. They also had five players honored in 2005 and 1990.
White, a shortstop from Fort Collins, CO, earns his second all-Big Ten award. He was a third-team member in 2005 as a second baseman. The senior hit .342 on the year with 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and a league-leading 69 runs scored. In conference play, White hit .323 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs.
Sweet, a centerfielder from Cedar Rapids, finished the regular season third in the conference with a .409 average. He also had seven home runs, 48 RBIs, 81 hits and 25 stolen bases. As a junior, he ranked in the top five of the Big Ten in 10 separate offensive categories. Sweet hit .387 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in conference play.
Erdman, a right-handed starting pitcher from Cedar Rapids, was one of Iowa’s best starters in Big Ten play, posting a 6-1 record and a 4.79 ERA. Overall, he was 7-2 with a 4.96 ERA and 24 strikeouts.
Curry, a leftfielder from Alexandria, MN, flourished in his first year at Iowa. The junior transfer hit .359 with nine doubles and 41 RBIs. In conference play, Curry hit .360 with 26 RBIs. He also played great defense for the Hawkeyes after coming into the program as a shortstop.
Toole, a second baseman from Council Bluffs, IA, stepped up with a big sophomore campaign in which he was second on the team with a .376 batting average. He also had 11 doubles and 34 RBIs. In Big Ten play, Toole hit .374 while knocking in 23 runs.
Junior pitcher Casey O’Rourke was named Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree.
The Hawkeyes are the No. 4 seed at the 2007 Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor, MI, and will open postseason play against No. 5 Illinois Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. at Ray Fisher Stadium. . The game will be broadcast live on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City and on hawkeyesports.com.