Jesse Leads Six Jackets on All-HCAC Team

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently announced its 2010 All-HCAC Baseball Team. Kirk Jesse topped the list of six Yellow Jackets to be honored with his First-Team All-HCAC nod, while Tim Pitro, Casey Kahsen, Keith Wade, Alex Timofeev and Zach Stallkamp were also recognized.

The six-man group marks the highest number of All-HCAC selections for Defiance College during head coach Derek Woodley's three-year tenure at the helm of the Jackets, adding yet another new standard for the rebuilding program. DC won 16 games during 2010, surpassing its combined win total from the previous two seasons and marking its highest win total since logging 19 victories in 1999.

The team success came with several program records, as the Jackets set new all-time marks for Defiance with 1,357 at bats, 400 hits, 76 doubles, 321 innings pitched, 963 putouts, 420 assists and a .958 fielding percentage.

Jesse, Pitro and Bryn Lehman also combined to set or tie four individual single-season records. Jesse etched his named atop the DC record books with 171 at bats and 30 stolen bases, while Pitro tied the all-time mark by swatting 14 doubles and Lehman scooped up 119 assists.

Along with the pair of single-season records, Jesse became the first Defiance player to earn First-Team All-HCAC honors on the diamond since Pitro made the list as the league's Freshman of the Year in 2007. Jesse started all 39 games for DC and batted .322, while setting career highs and leading the team with 42 runs and 30 stolen bases in 31 attempts. The Ney, Ohio, native was especially productive in the 16 victories, hitting .365 in those contests and scoring 23 runs to go with 21 steals without getting caught. The honor was the third All-HCAC award for Jesse, as the center fielder ends his four-year career ranking first in Defiance history with 555 at bats, second with 165 hits and 108 runs, third with 55 stolen bases and fourth with 26 doubles and six triples.

Pitro garnered the fourth All-HCAC honor of his career, after being selected as a Second-Team All-HCAC performer from his second base position. Pitro also started in all 39 games for the Jackets and turned in a .347 average to go with a .952 OPS, 14 doubles, 30 runs batted in and 41 runs scored. The Gahanna, Ohio, native saw those numbers climb in 22 league games, batting .363 with a 1.000 OPS and 25 runs scored during that time. Pitro's 2010 campaign only served to cement his status as one of the best to ever take the field at Defiance College, as he ends as the program's all-time leader with 174 hits, 110 runs, 34 doubles, 102 RBI and 346 assists. Pitro also ranks second all-time with 504 at bats, sixth with a career .345 average and four triples and ninth with 11 home runs and 52 walks.

Kahsen joined Pitro as a Second-Team All-HCAC selection after netting an Honorable Mention All-HCAC nod one year ago. While being regarded as one of the finest defensive catchers in the league, Kahsen turned in his best year with the bat while starting all but one game behind the plate for the Yellow Jackets. The Temperance, Mich., native set numerous career highs with a .326 average, .421 on-base percentage, .885 OPS, 30 runs scored and three home runs. Kahsen also turned in 12 multi-hit games on the season and hit .386 with a .557 slugging percentage on the road in 2010. Kahsen also continued his terrific defense, ranking second in the HCAC with 17 runners caught stealing and ending his career ranking seventh in DC history with 431 putouts over his three-year career.

Wade collected his second-straight Honorable Mention All-HCAC accolade by starting all 39 games at third base and setting career highs with a .338 batting average, 27 runs, nine doubles, 36 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases. The Wixom, Mich., native saw the ball extremely well at Craig A. Rutter Field during his senior season, leading the team with a .444 average, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 12 home games. Wade's 36 RBI led Defiance and ranked as the second-highest, single-season total in school history. Wade also ranked among the program's top 10 single-season marks with 148 at bats and 50 hits and ends his career ranking ninth in DC history with 72 runs batted in.

Timofeev earned his first All-HCAC award, after being tabbed as an Honorable Mention selection while playing first base during his junior year. The Oregon, Ohio, native developed into one of Defiance's top offensive weapons and ended the year with a .336 batting average, .385 on-base percentage, .482 slugging percentage, eight doubles, two home runs and 27 runs batted in. Timofeev set new career highs in nearly every offensive category and did his best work in non-conference action, where he led the Yellow Jackets with a .432 average, .463 on-base clip, .595 slugging percentage and sparkling 1.058 OPS.

Stallkamp joined Timofeev and Wade as an Honorable Mention All-HCAC performer. The honor is the first for the converted pitcher, as Stallkamp excelled with the bat during his sophomore campaign. The Paulding, Ohio, native split time between right field and the designated hitter slots in the DC lineup and led the squad with a .384 batting average and a .515 slugging percentage during 31 games. Stallkamp ranked 21st in the HCAC in average among players with at least 100 plate appearances and saw that clip rise to .450 during DC's 16 victories, while also getting on base at a .488 clip and slugging .525 in those contests.

The All-HCAC selections are nominated and voted on by the league's head coaches and are announced by the HCAC conference office.