Baseball

Storm Throne was selected by the Chicago White Sox in Wednesday’s 25th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft.

He was the 771st player selected in the draft.

Throne, a junior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., had a 6-4 record with a 4.58 earned run average during the 2012 season en route to honorable mention All-Great Plains Athletic Conference honors. He allowed 47 hits in 55 innings pitched while holding the opposition to a .224 batting average. Throne walked 22 batters and topped the Mustangs’ pitching staff with 61 strikeouts for the 10th highest single-season strikeout total in Morningside history.

Throne has a 9-7 record with a 4.58 earned run average over the last three seasons at Morningside. He allowed 128 hits to go along with 50 walks and 105 strikeouts in 123.2 innings pitched.

The 6-7 Throne is also a center on the Morningside men’s basketball team. He was the top scorer and rebounder off the Mustangs’ bench with averages of 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and was their most accurate 3-point shooter with 31 treys in 70 attempts for 44.3 percent during the 2011-12 season.

Throne is the first Morningside player selected in the MLB Draft since 1997 when outfielder Kory DeHaan was selected in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitcher Travis Wessel was taken in the 54th round by the Atlanta Braves. DeHaan eventually appeared in 102 games with the San Diego Padres over the 2000 and 2002 seasons.

The highest Morningside player ever selected in the MLB Draft was pitcher Mike King, who was the fourth player picked in 1980’s first round. Morningside’s most successful player at the professional level was the late Paul Splittorff, who was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1968 and went on to compile a 166-143 record with a 3.81 earned run average in a 15-year MLB career with the Royals from 1970-84.

Morningside College broke five school records and tied another record during the 2012 baseball season.

The Mustangs set team records with 22 triples and 133 stolen bases to break their former single-season standards of 18 triples in 2010 and 131 stolen bases in 2011.

Travis Hanson, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, and A.J. Staiert, a sophomore second baseman from Sioux City, were the Mustangs’ individual record breakers.

Hanson was the NAIA national leader with 45 stolen bases to break his own school record of 44 thefts he set last season. Hanson, who led the nation in stolen bases for the second year in a row, raised his career total to 105 stolen bases over the last three seasons to break the former Morningside career record of 85 stolen bases set by Bret Hoch from 2007-10.

Staiert ranked second in the nation with 10 triples to shatter the former Morningside single-season record of six triples set by Nathan Rosado in 2006 and Hoch in 2010. Staiert raised his career total to 11 triples to tie the Morningside record of 11 career triples set by Hoch from 2007-10.

Aside from leading the Mustangs in triples, Staiert was the team’s leading hitter with 70 hits in 186 at-bats for a .376 batting average with 15 doubles, one home run, 35 walks, 43 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Staiert led the Mustangs with his 15 doubles and 35 base on balls. His 35 walks was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and his 70 hits ranked fourth among the Mustangs’ single-season bests. Staiert also led the Mustangs with a .581 slugging percentage and a .478 on-base percentage.

Aside from his school-record 45 stolen bases, Hanson led the Mustangs with 74 hits and 61 runs scored. His 74 hits was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and his 61 runs was the fifth highest total in the Morningside annals. Hanson batted .370 with nine doubles, three triples, and 24 RBIs. Hanson’s three triples was the 10th highest single-season total in Morningside history and he had 33 base on balls for the fifth highest total in the Mustangs’ annals.

Tanner O’Neill, a sophomore shortstop from Sioux City, was the Mustangs’ top run producer with a team-high 50 RBIs. O’Neill was the Mustangs’ third leading hitter with a .362 batting average and collected 67 hits for the 10th highest single-season total in Morningside history.

Brendan McCabe, a senior catcher from Blooming Prairie, Minn., was the Mustangs’ top home run hitter during the 2012 campaign with five circuit clouts to go along with a .338 batting average and 45 RBIs.

The Mustangs, who hit .320 as a team, had three other players bat over .300 this season. Adison Gillett, a junior catcher from Omaha, Neb., had a .329 batting average; Tyler Candor, a junior outfielder from Merrill, Iowa, had a .329 batting average; and Bo Smith, a junior first baseman from Sioux City, had a .316 batting average.

Britton Adams, a sophomore pitcher from Arlington, Neb., and Storm Throne, a junior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., each won six games to lead the Mustangs’ pitching staff in victories. Adams had a 6-3 record and a 4.29 earned run average out of the Mustangs’ bullpen. He allowed only 31 hits in 35.2 innings pitched to hold the opposition to a .230 batting average. Throne had a 6-4 record with a 4.58 earned run average and fanned a team-high 61 batters in 55 innings for the 10th highest single-season strikeout total in Morningside history. He allowed only 47 hits while holding the opposition to a .224 batting average.

Jeff Gacke, a junior pitcher from Rock Rapids, Iowa, had a 5-3 record and led the Mustangs with a 3.15 earned run average. Gacke also topped the Mustangs with four complete games and 65.2 innings pitched. He allowed only 58 hits while holding the opposition to a .235 batting average.

The Mustangs’ relief ace was Alex Groth, a sophomore pitcher from South Sioux City, Neb., who had a 5-2 record with a 4.93 earned run average and a team-high five saves for the 10th highest total in Morningside history. Groth had a 1.74 earned run average in 16 appearances after he was moved out of the starting rotation and into the bullpen.

Morningside posted a 37-21 record and finished second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) standings with a 13-7 league mark during the 2012 campaign in its first season under head coach Brian Drent. The Mustangs achieved their fourth 30-win season in the last five years.

Travis Hanson, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, and Bo Smith, a junior first baseman from Sioux City, have been named 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Baseball Scholar-Athletes.

Hanson has a 3.96 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a double major in engineering physics and mathematics. Hanson was named a Capital One College Division Academic All-American earlier in the week.

Smith has a 3.55 cumulative GPA with a major in business administration.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Baseball Scholar-Athletes.

Travis Hanson, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, has been named to the first team of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Baseball Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Hanson has a 3.96 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a double major in engineering physics and mathematics.

Hanson was the NAIA national leader with 45 stolen bases this past season to break his own Morningside school record of 44 thefts he achieved during the 2011 campaign. He is also the Morningside record holder with 105 career stolen bases. Hanson batted .370 with nine doubles, three triples, 24 RBIs, and a team-high 61 runs scored this past season.

Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic All-America honors.

Morningside College’s Travis Hanson, Brendan McCabe, and A.J. Staiert were all named to the 2012 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball First Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.

Hanson and Staiert are both repeat selections from last year’s All-GPAC First Team.

Hanson, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, batted .370 with nine doubles, a team-high three triples, and 24 RBIs this season. He led the Mustangs with 74 hits, 200 at-bats, 61 runs scored, and a school-record 45 stolen bases to break the former Morningside standard of 44 stolen bases he set last season.

McCabe, a senior catcher from Blooming Prairie, Minn., was the Mustangs’ top power hitter with a team-high five home runs. He batted .338 with 10 doubles and 45 RBIs. McCabe gunned down 22 percent of opposing base stealers by throwing out 10 of 45 runners.

Staiert, a sophomore second baseman from Sioux City, was the Mustangs’ leading hitter with 70 hits in 186 at-bats for a .376 batting average. He also topped the Mustangs with 15 doubles, a school-record 10 triples, 35 base on balls, a .581 slugging percentage, and a .478 on-base percentage to go along with one home run, 48 RBIs, 43 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Staiert’s 10 triples shattered the former Morningside single-season standard of six triples by Nathan Rosado in 2006 and Bret Hoch in 2010.

In addition to their three first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Jeff Gacke, a junior pitcher from Rock Rapids, Iowa; and Tanner O’Neill, a sophomore shortstop from Sioux City, on the All-GPAC Second Team.

Gacke had a 5-3 record with one save and led the Mustangs with a 3.15 earned run average. Gacke had 20 walks and 50 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched and allowed only 58 hits while holding the opposition to a .235 batting average. He completed four of his 11 starts.

O’Neill was the Mustangs’ leading run producer with a team-high 50 RBIs. He hit .362 with 12 doubles, one home run, 49 runs scored, and nine stolen bases.

Morningside placed Tyler Candor, Josh Gross, Greg Scott, Bo Smith, and Storm Throne on the All-GPAC honorable mention list.

Candor, a junior outfielder from Merrill, Iowa, hit .322 with 11 doubles, two triples, one home run, and 18 RBIs.

Gross, a junior third baseman from Jefferson, S.D., hit .277 with 10 doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 31 RBIs.

Scott, a sophomore pitcher from Salix, Iowa, had a 4-0 record with a 4.05 earned run average. He had the best control on the Mustangs’ pitching staff with 17 walks in 53.1 innings pitched.

Smith, a junior first baseman from Sioux City, hit .316 with five doubles and 18 RBIs. Smith was also named to the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Gold Glove Team after he committed only one error in 367 chances for a .997 fielding percentage.

Throne, a junior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., led the Mustangs’ starting pitchers in victories with a 6-4 record with a 4.58 earned run average. He allowed only 47 hits in 55 innings pitched while holding the opposition to a .224 batting average and led the Mustangs’ pitchers with 61 strikeouts.

Morningside posted a 37-21 record in 2012 for its fourth 30-win season in the last five years. The Mustangs finished second in the regular season GPAC standings with a 13-7 league record.

Click here for the complete 2012 All-GPAC Baseball Team.

Travis Hanson and Bo Smith have been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 5 College Division Baseball Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

As all-district selections, Hanson and Smith will be placed on the national ballot for the Capital One Academic All-America Team.

Hanson, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, has a 3.96 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in engineering physics and mathematics. He is batting .372 with nine doubles, three triples, 24 RBIs, 60 runs scored, and 43 stolen bases. Hanson is the NAIA national leader with his 43 stolen bases.

Smith, a junior first baseman from Sioux City, has a 3.55 cumulative GPA with a major in business administration. He is batting .320 with five doubles, 17 RBIs, 31 runs scored, and three stolen bases.

Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.

A.J. Staiert, a sophomore second baseman from Sioux City, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball Player of the Week for April 2-8.

Staiert, who received the GPAC Player of the Week Award for the second time this season, collected nine hits in 17 at-bats for a .529 batting average to help the Mustangs go 6-0 for the week. Staiert had three doubles, two triples, and seven RBIs. His best game came in a 19-1 victory against Dordt College on April 5 when he went three-for-four with five RBIs.

Staiert is batting .405 this season with a school-record eight triples.

A.J. Staiert, a sophomore second baseman from Sioux City, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball Player of the Week.

Staiert hit .529 to help the Mustangs compile a 4-2 record for the week. Staiert collected nine hits in 17 at-bats with two doubles, three RBIs, and five stolen bases. He hit safely in five of the six games, including four two-hit performances.

Staiert has a .372 batting average with five doubles, a team-high five triples, 19 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases so far this season.

Morningside has won nine of its last 12 games to improve its record to 15-10.

Tanner O’Neill, a sophomore infielder from Sioux City, has been named the first 2012 Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball Player of the Week.

O’Neill collected 11 hits in 21 at-bats for a .524 batting average with four doubles, nine RBIs, and two stolen bases in five games last week. He was eight-for-14 (.571) with three doubles and seven RBIs in three victories against Manhattan Christian College.

O’Neill will take an eight-game hitting streak into Wednesday afternoon’s doubleheader against Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. He is batting .422 this season with a team-high seven doubles and 17 RBIs.

Morningside has won six of its last seven games to improve its season’s record to 10-7.

The Mustangs return eight starters and five of their top eight pitchers from a team that posted a 31-21 record and finished fifth in the GPAC with a 14-8 league mark last season.

Morningside, in its first season under new head coach Brian Drent, will open the 2012 campaign with doubleheaders against St. Ambrose University on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19, in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.