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Wartburg Sweeps Iowa Conference MVP Honors

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa-- The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today its major baseball awards and the 32-member All-Iowa Conference team for the 2017 season. Wartburg College senior Taylor Gilson has been selected as the IIAC Pitcher of the Year, and senior teammate Jacob Thumann was named the IIAC Position Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Gilson is the fifth Wartburg player to be honored as Pitcher of the Year, joining Aaron Saeugling (2008), Jerrold Martijn (2009), Brad Watson (2011), Ryan Doty (2013). Thumann, honored for the second time as IIAC Position Player of the Year, joins former Wartburg players Jerrold Martijn (2008) and DJ Utley (2014), who also received the award. The Knights have also won the league MVP award six times, the award was split in 2008 to honor a pitcher and a position player.

This was the first time Wartburg had swept both MVP honorees since 2008 with Martijn and Sauegling.

Starting 43 of 43 games for the Knights entering the NCAA Tournament, Thumann has a .340 batting average, a .434 on-base percentage, a .642 slugging percentage, 55 hits, 11 doubles,12 home runs, 44 RBIs, 40 runs scored and a .976 fielding percentage. He leads all IIAC players in home runs and RBIs, while ranking second in slugging percentage and runs scored.
 
In 24 Iowa Conference games, Thumann led the league in batting average (.404) slugging percentage (.753), on-base percentage (.514), runs scored (28), home runs (7), total bases (67), doubles (10, tied with Bryce Hingst, Luther), ranked second in hits (36), and RBIs (27). 

Overall, from the mound, Gilson posted a 2.90 ERA in 13 appearances, went 9-1 with 75 strikeouts in 90.0 innings pitched. His 13 games started ranks 12th nationally, while his 75 strikeouts are 45th best, and 9 victories is ranked 10th.

In seven league appearances, he finished 6-0 with two saves. His six wins was a conference best. Gilson finished conference play with a 2.25 ERA in 52.0 innings pitched. He allowed just 38 hits, 14 runs, 13 earned runs and an opponent batting average of .204.
 
2017 All-Iowa Conference Baseball Team
Pitcher of the Year - Taylor Gilson, Wartburg
Position Player of the Year - Jacob Thumann, Wartburg
Coach of the Year - Paul Wyczawski, Dubuque
Pitcher of the Year School Year Pos Hometown/High School
Taylor Gilson ! % Wartburg Sr. SP Oelwein, Iowa / Oelwein
Pos. Player of the Year School Year Pos Hometown/High School
Jacob Thumann ! ~ Wartburg Sr. OF Dewitt, Iowa / Central Clinton-Dewitt
First Team School Year Pos Hometown/High School
Max Langheinrich @ ^ Wartburg Sr. SP Minnetonka, Minn. / Minnetonka
Jake Lewis Buena Vista Sr. SP Grimes, Iowa / Dallas Center-Grimes
Chase Kueter Dubuque So. SP Bellevue, Iowa / Bellevue
Dylan Diveney ? Central Jr. SP Marshalltown, Iowa / Marshalltown
Nathan Schneidermann Dubuque So. RP German Valley, Ill. / Forreston
Cody Hyler Wartburg Jr. C Des Moines, Iowa / Southeast Polk
Thomas Kempf Dubuque So. 1B Chicago, Ill. / Lane Tech Prep
Eric Willis Wartburg Jr. 2B Waverly, Iowa / Waverly-Shell Rock
Joe Silversmith @ Luther Sr. 3B St. Paul, Minn. Highland Park
Noah Paper # Buena Vista Jr. SS West Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo
Kevin DeLaney ! Coe So. OF Coralville, Iowa / Iowa City West
Blake Mahoney @ Wartburg Jr. OF Des Moines, Iowa / Lincoln
Austin McWhite ! Dubuque Sr. OF Orlando, Fla. / Wekiva
Seth Griffiths Central Sr. OF Ottumwa, Iowa / Ottumwa
Mitch Bruggers Luther Jr. DH Lake Elmo, Minn. Stillwater Area
Cody Reimer # Luther Sr. UT Peosta, Iowa / Western Dubuque
Second Team School Year Pos Hometown/High School
Nate Beckman > Luther Sr. SP Jordan, Minn. Jordan
Jack Greene Coe Fr. SP Marshalltown, Iowa / Marshalltown
Doug Van Dyke Dubuque Jr. SP Bartlett, Ill. / Bartlett
Thomas Schaedel Coe Sr. SP Chicago, Ill. / Notre Dame Prep
Dalton Mason Buena Vista Sr. RP Altoona, Iowa / Southeast Polk
Will Doherty Dubuque Jr. C Cross Plains, Wis. / Wisconsin Heights
Bryce Hingst Luther So. 1B Waukee, Iowa / Waukee
Luke Leibforth Loras Sr. 2B Evergreen Park, Ill. / Brother Rice
Austin Konagel ! Loras So. 3B Frankfort, Ill. / Lincoln-Way North
Owen Gubbels Nebraska Wesleyan Fr. SS Waverly, Neb. / Waverly
Kolby Hilgenberg Buena Vista Sr. OF Carroll, Iowa / Kuemper Catholic
Andrew Brierton @ Coe Sr. OF Cary, Ill. / Cary Grove
Jacob Burns Coe So. OF Gilbert, Ariz. / Campo Verde
Jake Vogt Luther So. OF Livertyville, Ill. / Libertyville
Kendall Candor ! Buena Vista Sr. DH Merrill, Iowa / Le Mars
Ben Jacobson @ Coe Sr. UT Ottosen, Iowa / Humboldt
Honorable Mention School Year Pos Hometown/High School
Jesse Maguire Nebraska Wesleyan Jr. SP Lincoln, Neb. / Waverly
Jacob Hadaway ! Buena Vista Sr. SP Sheldahl, Iowa / North Polk
Teddy Klingsporn % Luther Sr. SP Oakdale, Minn. / Tartan
Billy Coppage Central So. SP West Point, Iowa / Fort Madison
Austin Bohling Wartburg Jr. RP Letts, Iowa / Louisa-Muscatine
Hunter Hillygus Simpson Sr. 1B Marshalltown, Iowa / Marshalltown
Clay Henning @ Wartburg Jr. SS Plymouth, Wis. / Plymouth Comprehensive
Danny Paluch Loras So. OF Chicago, Ill. / Brother Rice
Kyle Hunter Nebraska Wesleyan Jr. OF Brighton, Colo. / McCook C.C.
Michael Salazar Dubuque Sr. DH Scottsdale, Ariz. / Desert Mountain
Previous Awards Key
! - 2016 First Team All-Conference
@ - 2016 Second Team All-Conference
# - 2016 Honorable Mention
> - 2016 Pitcher of the Year
% - 2015 First Team All-Conference
^ - 2015 Second Team All-Conference
& - 2015 Honorable Mention
? - 2015 Pitcher of the Year
~ - 2015 Position Player of the Year
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