Baseball and Softball Capture Team of the Year Awards
June 1, 2005
Corvallis, Ore. - The Oregon State University baseball and softball programs were named the teams of the year at the seventh annual Department of Athletics Bennys Awards ceremony, held Wednesday at the LaSells Stewart Center.
The baseball team won the unified Pac-10 Conference title for the first time since 1952 and enters this weekend's NCAA Tournament Regional ranked No. 2 in the nation. The softball team won the first Pac-10 title for any women's sport at OSU and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore pitcher Brianne McGowan was honored as the Female Athlete of the Year. McGowan won a school record 36 games, including 21 straight during the team's 22-game win streak. She set six single season records as a pitcher and at the plate was among the team leaders for home runs and runs batted in.
Senior defensive end Bill Swancutt and junior centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury shared the Male Athlete of the Year Award. Swancutt was the Pac-10 Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was the league's Morris Trophy recipient for the top defensive lineman. Ellsbury was recently selected to the Sports Weekly All-America team and is the 2005 Pac-10 Conference Co-Player of the Year.
Freshman soccer standout Jodie Taylor took home the Female Newcomer of the Year Award, and junior Nick DeWitz from men's basketball and freshman shortstop Darwin Barney shared the Joe Zaher Male Newcomer of the Year Award. Taylor was a Freshman All-American and the Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year. DeWitz was the Pac-10's Newcomer of the Year and Barney was the conference's Freshman of the Year.
Junior Lisa Allen of the softball team was the recipient of the Female Performance of the Year, while senior David Lucas from men's basketball and sophomore Robbie Findley from men's soccer shared Male Newcomer of the Year. Allen hit a grand slam home run in the Beavers' 4-0 victory over No. 2 Arizona May 1. Lucas scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds in the team's 90-73 victory over No. 11 Washington Feb. 13. Findley scored all three goals, including the game-winner in overtime, in OSU's 3-2 victory over No. 9 Washington Nov. 14.
Robert Byers Spirit Award after completing a tour of duty in Iraq with the National Guard. All-American Bennys were awarded as well to football's Mike Hass and Mitch Meeuwsen, baseball's Dallas Buck, Jonah Nickerson and Ellsbury, and Taylor from women's soccer.
Therese Videan (gymnastics), Michelle Bacon (rowing), Adam Carlton (crew), Keelan Purcell (crew), Adam Daniel (wrestling), Allison Lawrence (volleyball) and Pat Loney (football) were presented Bennys for being Scholar Athletes. A Scholar Athlete Benny is presented to a senior who has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
The Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Benny was presented to longtime boosters Bob and Dorothy Butler of Springfield.
2004-2005 Bennys
Male Athletes of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury (baseball) and Bill Swancutt (football)
Female Athlete of the Year: Brianne McGowan (softball)
Joe Zaher Male Newcomers of the Year: Nick DeWitz (basketball) and Darwin Barney (baseball)
Female Newcomer of the Year: Jodie Taylor (soccer)
Male Performances of the Year: David Lucas (basketball) and Robbie Findley (soccer)
Female Performance of the Year: Lisa Allen (softball)
Male Sport Coach of the Year: Pat Casey (baseball)
Female Sport Coach of the Year: Kirk Walker (softball)
Male Team of the Year: Baseball
Female Team of the Year: Softball
Robert Byers Spirit Award: Brandon Hern
Glenn Klein Community Service Awards: Jim Hanchett (basketball/football), Mari Embertson (swimming)
Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob and Dorothy Butler
All-Americans (as of June 1): Mike Hass (football), Mitch Meeuswen (football), Jacoby Ellsbury (baseball), Dallas Buck (baseball), Jonah Nickerson (baseball), Jodie Taylor (soccer)
Scholar Athletes of the Year: Therese Videan (gymnastics), Michelle Bacon (rowing), Adam Carlton (crew), Keelan Purcell (crew), Adam Daniel (wrestling), Allison Lawrence (volleyball), Pat Loney (football)
