May
30, 2006
Release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College sports information
director
PELLA,
IOWA . . . Central College senior catcher Adam
Duerfeldt of Urbandale has been named the ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-America Baseball Player of the Year for
the college division.
Duerfeldt,
an Urbandale High School graduate, was also named a first-team
academic all-America selection for the second straight year.
The selections are made by the College Sports Information Directors
of America.
Duerfeldt
graduated from Central with a 3.88 grade point average and a
chemistry major. The Iowa Conference MVP received the Madison
and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship at the University of Kansas
where he will enter a Ph.D. degree program in medicinal chemistry
this summer.
Other
Iowans—Two Iowans were named to the university
division team. Ironically, another catcher from Urbandale--Zach
Dillon of Baylor University--was the first-team pick on the
university squad. He is a Dowling High School graduate who carries
a 3.86 grade point average with a sport management major. Also
honored was Zach Daeges of Harlan, Iowa, a senior infielder
for Creighton University who was a third-team pick. He carries
a 3.34 GPA with an accounting major.
Central’s
second player of the year—Central has now
had student-athletes receive academic all-America recognition
44 times. Duerfeldt is the second Dutch athlete to be named
the academic all-America player of the year. Women’s basketball
player Emilie Hanson received the distinction in 1993-94 and
again in 1994-95.
“This
is a tremendous honor,” Duerfeldt said. “The reason
I came to Central was because I knew my baseball career couldn’t
last forever and I needed to be prepared for life outside of
baseball. With the science facilities and professors Central
has and the ability they have to help secure funding for research,
I knew it was a good choice academically. But I was also able
to continue playing the game I’ve enjoyed playing since
I was six years old.”
After being
named league MVP, Duerfeldt was also tabbed as the NCAA Division
III Central Region position player of the year by the National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the American Baseball
Coaches Association made him a first-team all-region selection.
He’s still under consideration for all-America honors.
Central’s
team MVP and a squad co-captain, Duerfeldt set 17 school records
for the Dutch, including highest season batting average (.481),
highest career average (.384), most career hits (207) and most
career RBIs (207). He had 65 hits this season, with 11 doubles,
six triples and six homers and his .481 average ranked fourth
in Division III. Duerfeldt posted a .984 fielding percentage.
Under third-year
coach Adam Stevens, the Dutch recorded a 26-14 record, breaking
the school’s season wins mark. Central won a share of
its first Iowa Conference baseball crown since 1975.
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