Fetter Named MVP, Most Valuable Pitcher to Highlight Team Awards
5/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan baseball head coach Rich Maloney announced Thursday (May 21) that senior pitcher Chris Fetter(Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was named winner of the Ray Fisher Award as Most Valuable Player and the Geoff Zahn Award as Michigan's Most Valuable Pitcher for the 2009 season, based on a team vote during the postseason. It marks the second straight season Fetter has earned the Zahn Award after sharing the honor in 2008 and he becomes just the third Wolverine in program history to take home both the Zahn and Fisher awards in the same season, joining Ross Powell (1989) and Zach Putnam (2007).
Fetter, who earned his second straight first team All-Big Ten honor Tuesday (May 19) and fourth overall all-conference accolade, posted a 7-3 record in 13 appearances while striking out 103 batters and allowing just 17 walks in his final season for the Wolverines. His 3.26 earned run average led Wolverine starting pitchers and ranked in the top 10 of all Big Ten hurlers. Fetter posted three complete games, including a career-high 13-strikeout performance versus Indiana. With nine strikeouts at Northwestern last Thursday (May 14), Fetter moved into fourth on U-M's single-season strikeout list, surpassing Mike Ignasiak (99, 1987) and Ross Powell (98, 1989) to become the fourth pitcher in Wolverine history to fan more than 100 batters in a season. Fetter is tops on the list of U-M right-handed pitchers. Fetter finished his career with 281 strikeouts, ranking third on U-M's career strikeout list, just seven behind career leader Jim Burton (288, 1969-71). With the win in his final start in the Maize and Blue, Fetter moved to 28-10 to rank third on U-M's career win list, snapping his tie with Steve Howe (27 wins, 1977-79).
Sophomore centerfielder Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) was awarded the Bill Freehan award as the team's top hitter, the lone award based on a scoring system devised by the team. LaMarre, who also took home his first career All-Big Ten honor Tuesday as a second team selection, led the Wolverines with a .344 average and paced all Big Ten outfielders in runs scored (55), runs batted in (62) and home runs (12). The sophomore also led the U-M offense with 20 multi-hit games. LaMarre burst onto the scene in his first season as an everyday starter when he hit .571 with six home runs and 25 RBI over a seven-game stretch on the team's spring trip.
Senior second baseman Kevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) was awarded the Ted Sizemore Defensive Player of the Year after posting a .981 fielding percentage in 42 games. One of the team's three captains, Cislo recorded 77 putouts and 124 assists with just four errors and made numerous highlight-reel plays for the Wolverines after returning to his natural infield spot from a stint in centerfield in 2008.
Fifth-year senior Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) earned the Betty Simmons Award as the team's most improved player in 2009. Fellows, who represented U-M as its All-Big Ten sportsmanship award honoree, had a breakout campaign in his first as an everyday starter. Fellows led the squad with 69 hits and paced the team with a .351 average in Big Ten play while stealing a team-high 21 bases, which rank third in the conference and is the eighth-best, single-season total in U-M history. Fellows posted five three-hit games and 19 multi-hit contests while ranking third on the team with 85 total bases.
Fellow fifth-year senior Tim Kalczynski(Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) earned his third straight Wolverine Award for Spirit and Leadership. Kalczynski posted career highs in numerous offensive categories this season and was the spiritual leader for the Wolverines as a tri-captain with his business-like approach and dedication to the game. Kalczynski is the first player in team history to receive the award multiple times.
Senior pitcher Mike Wilson(Pickering, Ontario/Pine Ridge) was named winner of the Steve Boros Award as the top student-athlete on the U-M team. Wilson was an Athletic Academic Achievement Award winner in 2008 and graduated this month with a degree in economics. The honor is the second career team award for Wilson, who shared the Simmons Award in 2007.
Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423
