May 16, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Luther College senior catcher Kyle Schroeder (Sparta, Wis./Bangor) has been named the 2007 IIAC baseball Most Valuable Player and Luther head coach Brian Gillogly has been named the 2007 IIAC baseball Coach of the Year.

Schroeder enters the NCAA Tournament with a.347 average (51-for-147) eight home runs, 49 RBI, 12 doubles and 41 runs scored in 38 games. He led the Iowa Conference in home runs and RBI, was second in runs scored and total bases (tied, 89), tied for fifth with 21 walks and sixth with a .605 slugging percentage. Schroeder had a .438 on-base percentage, 11th-best in the IIAC, and 51 hits, 12th-best in the IIAC. He also called games for the Conference’s top pitching staff, which enters the NCAA postseason with a 3.73 earned run average.

In 23 Conference games, he hit .330 (29-for-88) with five home runs, 30 RBI, eight doubles and 23 runs scored. He ranked in the top-20 in most offensive categories including leading the Conference in home runs (tied) and RBI. Schroeder tied for fourth in runs scored, tied for fifth in total bases (52) and tied for sixth in doubles. His .591 slugging percentage was seventh in the IIAC, his 29 hits ranked 13th while his .415 on-base percentage was 16th and batting average was 20th.

Gillogly guided Luther to its 12th Conference baseball title and fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament, both firsts since 1985. The Norse enter the NCAA Tournament with a 29-9 overall record, the most wins in school history, and are the top-seed in the Regional Tournament. Luther finished Conference-play with an 18-5 record, tying Wartburg for the title, and proceeded to go 3-0 in the IIAC Tournament to win its first Tournament title and the automatic berth into the national field.

The IIAC also announced today the 2007 baseball All-Conference Team. The 28-member Team includes seven repeat All-Conference performers including Coe College junior Cody Smith who receives All-Conference accolades for the third time. Regular season co-Champion and Tournament Champion Luther had an IIAC-best six All-Conference performers, including three First Team members. Buena Vista University and the University of Dubuque each had four All-Conference selections.

The complete 2007 IIAC baseball All-Conference Team is here.

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