FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-103-01-02
Wednesday, May 8, 2002

Six Blue Jays Named Commonwealth Conference Baseball All-Stars; Drew Kelley Named Conference Rookie of the Year

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Six members of the Elizabethtown College baseball team have been named Commonwealth Conference all-stars for the 2002 season. Senior second baseman Kevin Bonner (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) was the lone Blue Jay to make the conference first team. Senior catcher Chris Turtell (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst), junior third baseman Mark Dixon (Havertown, PA/Delaware County Christian), senior right fielder Brad Biehl (Hamburg, PA/Hamburg), sophomore center fielder Brad Duppstadt (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) and senior pitcher Ryan Bowe (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) all made the conference second team. Also, freshman pitcher Drew Kelley (York, PA/Dallastown) was named the conference's Rookie of the Year.

Bonner, the steady mainstay of Elizabethtown's infield defense for the past three years, had a breakthrough year at the plate in 2002, hitting a career-best .379 on 55 hits, tying him for fourth place all-time at Etown for most hits in a season. He finished second on the team with nine stolen bases and 31 runs scored, and he hit six doubles and drove in 18 runs in 39 games played. Bonner is a career .299 hitter at Etown, and this is the first time he has been named a conference all-star.

Turtell has garnered conference all-star honors for the third consecutive year. He wrapped up a stellar career this season by batting .356 on a 53-for-149 performance at the plate. He hit a career-best eight home runs, belted out 15 doubles, and had four triples for a .671 slugging percentage. He also led the team with 18 stolen bases in 2002, and he had 25 RBI and 38 runs scored. Turtell owns the Elizabethtown career hit record with 178 and the career at bat record with 533. His 113 career RBI rank him second all-time at Etown, and his 118 runs scored rank him seventh. He ranks second at Etown with 13 career triples, third with 37 doubles, fourth with 13 career home runs and second with 252 total bases over four years. His career batting average is .334.

Dixon was named a conference all-star for the first time in 2002 after batting .326 while scoring 20 runs and driving in 22 more. He went 45-for-138 at the plate this year, and he had five doubles and one triple. Dixon is a career .292 hitter with 106 hits over three seasons.

Biehl also picked up all-star honors for the first time after having a monster season in 2002, the first time he was an everyday player for the Blue Jays. Biehl batted .441 on a 56-for-127 performance at the plate, posted eight doubles, one triple, 24 runs scored, and 23 RBI. He also drew 18 walks and had an on-base percentage of .497. In just one season, Biehl lifted his career average at Etown from .250 to .361.

Duppstadt batted .327 in 2002, going 49-for-150 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, six stolen bases, 28 runs scored, and 27 RBI. He picked up conference all-star honors for the first time this year after winning the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year award in 2001. Duppstadt is a career .327 hitter in two seasons at Etown.

Bowe was also selected to the all-star team for the first time this year. He was Etown's leading pitcher, going 8-2 with one save and a 3.39 ERA. He led the team with 11 games started and seven complete games, and he tossed one shutout. He spread 89 hits over a team-leading 87-2/3 innings pitched in 2002, striking out 44 batters and walking just 18. In four years, Bowe compiled a 13-12 record with a 4.05 ERA. His 44 career appearances on the mound rank him in fourth place all-time at Etown, and his 206-2/3 career innings pitched place him fifth in the Blue Jay record books.

Kelley was named the Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year after going 6-3 with a 3.73 ERA in 14 appearances and nine starts on the mound for Etown as a freshman in 2002. He spread 72 hits over 62-2/3 innings of work, struck out 32 batters and walked 16. He had three complete games and one shutout. Kelley is the second Blue Jay in a row to receive the conference Rookie of the Year award, as Duppstadt won the award in 2001.

The Elizabethtown College baseball team finished the 2002 season with an 18-23 overall record and went 12-9 in the Commonwealth Conference during the regular season. The Blue Jays made the conference playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in 2002.