May 12, 2006

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State landed 10 players on the All-GLIAC team, including eight who earned first-team honors. Senior Jeremy Dow (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood) was named the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 12-0 record with a 2.51 ERA while striking out 84 on the year. Dow is the third consecutive Laker to earn the award after Grant Payton won the award in 2005 and Matt Rafeld in 2004. Casey Robrahn (Jenison, Mich.) was named Freshman of the Year after hitting .415 with 33 runs scored and 34 RBIs and also held a school-record 29 game hitting streak during the season. Robrahn is the second Laker to win the award after former Laker great Scott Allen was tabbed the Freshman of the Year in 2002. GVSU captured the GLIAC regular season title and will enter the North Central Regional as the #1 seed after posting a 44-8 overall record.

Dow threw 82.1 innings on the season and held batters to a .231 average. The 12 wins that Dow racked up on the season ties him for first in the single-season Laker annals with Rafeld who won 12 games in 2004. Dow ranks fourth in career strikeouts for the Lakers with 172 in his two years at Grand Valley State. The senior hurler is 18 strikeouts away from breaking the career total of former Laker standout Phil Mixter, who rung up 189 batters.

Robrahn set a number of Laker freshman records on the season as he tallied a record 66 hits to go with an average of .415. The freshman first baseman recorded a hit in 43 of the 49 games he played on the season. Robrahn ripped a hit in 29 consecutive games during the season from March 29 to May 6. Casey tallied two or more hits in 19 games, which tied for second on the squad.

Joining Dow and Robrahn on the first team were C Nick Smith (Hazel Park, Mich.), 3B Lee VanStreain (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central), 2B Spud McKenzie (Wymoing, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.), CF Jeff Carrero (Frankfort, Ill./South Suburban C.C.), starting pitcher Grant Payton (Barrington, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.), and relief pitcher Dave Bowman (Rochester Hills, Mich./Brother Rice). Seniors RF Nick Sandy (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) and starting pitcher Jeff Sinicki (Essexville, Mich./Garber) were also named to the All-GLIAC team earning honorable mention plaudits.