KANSAS CITY, MO. – Iowa Wesleyan College senior Frany Cruz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) has been named to the 2009 NAIA Baseball All-American team, it was announced Thursday by the organization.
Cruz received Honorable Mention All-American honors, adding to a postseason in which he already was named Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. He is the first IWC player since 2006 to receive All-American recognition and just the third player in Wesleyan’s modern history to be named All-American.
Cruz caps off a two-year career as a Tiger in which he was the first IWC player ever to receive MCC Player of the Year honors in the program’s 14 years in the conference. He also was the first Wesleyan player to receive conference MVP honors since Todd Huckabone was co-MVP of the American Midwest Conference in 1995.
A second baseman, Cruz finished the year batting .384 after spending much of the season hovering around or above the .400 mark. Cruz also had an MCC-leading 71 hits as well as 37 runs scored, 12 doubles, seven home runs and 44 RBIs. He led the Tigers in hits, doubles and RBIs, and also added 11 stolen bases while handling second base with a .953 fielding percentage.
Cruz joins Mike Peterson (2006) and Huckabone (1994) as past NAIA All-Americans. Peterson received honorable mention honors in 2006 as a pitcher, while Huckabone also was an honorable mention pick in 1994 as a first baseman.
Cruz was one of four MCC players to receive All-American honors. William Penn University pitcher Micah Spencer was named a First Team All-American, while Penn pitcher Chris Wedel and Mount Mercy College pitcher Derrick Weber joined Cruz as honorable mention selections.
The Tigers finished the season with a 29-22 record and were the runners up in the MCC Tournament, losing to William Penn on the final day of the tourney.
For more information regarding the IWC baseball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail).
