May 27, 2004

EVANSTON, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the 2004 All-Big Ten baseball teams and individual honors as four Northwestern baseball players were named all-conference.

Junior J.A. Happ (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy) was NU's only first-team recipient, as the left-hander earned his third-straight first team accolade. Happ led the Wildcats with six wins and led the conference with 106 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.68. Happ, who was honored as a relief pitcher as a freshman in 2002 and a starter in 2003, is now the first Wildcat in school history to collect First Team laurels on three occasions.

Senior catcher Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and sophomore first baseman Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) each garnered their first conference distinction, as they were both voted third-team members. Sophomore pitcher Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) was also a third-team honoree, his second-straight such award.

Pohlman finished with a .391 conference batting, good enough for fifth in the league, knocking in 27. He led the Wildcats with eight home runs and was second in RBI at 42. The first-year catcher threw out 21 would-be base stealers during the season.

Ori ended the 2004 season with a league best .412 batting average, reaching base safely in 25 of NU's 32 Big Ten games. He led NU with a .382 overall batting average, which ranked third best in the league in all games.

Brauer received his second-straight third team accolade after finishing third in the Big Ten with a 3.02 ERA and second with 96 strikeouts. He pitched 89.1 innings, as 30 of his 96 K victims went down looking.

All three Big Ten teams are listed below.

2004 All-Big Ten Baseball Teams

FIRST TEAM
1B - Andy Hunter, MINN
2B - Chris Getz, MICH
SS - Seth Bynum, IND
3B - James Moreno, MSU
OF - Travis Gulick, MSU
OF - Sam Steidl, MINN
OF - Steve Caravati, OSU
DH - Brandon Roberts, MICH
C - Chris Robinson, ILL
P - Nathan Johnson, IOWA
P - Jim Brauer, MICH
P - Glen Perkins, MINN
P - J.A. Happ, NU
P - Josh Newman, OSU
RP - Adam White, MSU

SECOND TEAM
1B - Kyle Bhm, MICH
2B - Drew Anderson, OSU
SS - Mitch Koester, PUR
3B - Simon Klink, PUR
OF - Kevin Mahar, IND
OF - Nate Yoho, IOWA
OF - Jacob Howell, OSU
DH - Mike Mee, MINN
C - Jake Elder, MINN
P - Paul Hammond, MICH
P - Bryan Gale, MSU
P - Craig Molldrem, MINN
P - Sean Stidfole, PSU
RP - Trae Dauby, PUR

THIRD TEAM
1B - Mark Ori, NU
2B - Luke MacLean, MINN
SS - Matt Fornasiere, MINN
3B - Chad Frk, ILL
3B - David Hrncirik, MINN
OF - Reggie Watson, IND
OF - Matt Butler, MICH
OF - Andy Dahl, PUR
DH - John Hunter, PUR
C - Dan Pohlman, NU
P - Tim Gorski, ILL
P - Dan Brauer, NU
P - Mike Madsen, OSU
P - Aaron Tressler, PSU
RP - Trey Fausnaugh, OSU

Player of the Year: Steve Caravati, OSU
Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins, MINN
Freshman of the Year: Jacob Howell, OSU
Coach of the Year: John Anderson, MINN