Bowling Green State University Athletics
Kelly Hunt Named MAC Player of the Year
May 22, 2002 | Baseball
May 22, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University's Kelly Hunt was named the 2002 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, announced by the league office on Wednesday, May 22. Hunt
BGSU's Hunt becomes the first-ever Falcon to be named the league's Player of the Year. During the regular season, the first baseman led the MAC in RBIs (80) and was tied for the top spot in home runs with a school-record 22. His 1.57 RBIs per game is third nationally in Division I, while his 0.43 home runs per contest is fifth. Three times this season, the Bowling Green, Ohio, native was tabbed the MAC East Division Player of the Week. In the final week of the regular season, Hunt hit six home runs, including a homer in five straight contests, and also drove in 15 runs. He was fourth in the league in hitting during the regular season with a .410 batting average, and that average climbed to .465 in conference-only action. In addition, he was second in the MAC in hits (84) and in runs scored (67), and was third in slugging percentage (.805).
Bowling Green, the MAC overall regular season and East Division champion with an 18-7 league record and an overall mark of 31-20, had a league-high four players represented on the first-team. Joining Hunt on the first team were Bowling Green's Corey Loomis (Jr., 2B), Nick Elrod (Sr., SS) and Neil Schmitz (So., RP). For all Falcons, it w as the first time they were selected onto the All-MAC First Team. Loomis finished the regular season with a team-high .412 batting average, 33rd in the nation. He and Elrod helped the Falcons turned a school-record 63 double plays from their second base and shortstop positions. Elrod batted .371 in the regular season and holds the school record in games played (214) and assists (553). Schmitz led BGSU in ERA (2.16), saves (6) and appearances (24) while striking out 38 and walking just eight in 33.1 innings of work.
Earning second-team honors for the Falcons were starting pitcher Kyle Knoblauch and outfielder Len Elias. Knoblauch was BGSU's No. 1 starter this season with a 6-1 record, 4.92 ERA, 39 strikeouts and 27 walks. He was 4-0 in league play. Elias was a second-team All-MAC selection as a freshman and junior. He broke six career records at BGSU this season, including at-bats (707), runs scored (203), hits (254), doubles (58), total bases (420) and RBIs (172).
Ball State University's Bryan Bullington was the MAC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season while Eastern Michigan picked up Freshman of the Year (Brian Bixler) and Coach of the Year (Roger Coryell).
Voting for the 15-member first and 15-member second all-MAC teams was conducted by the league's head coaches. Ten of the MAC's 13 schools had at least one player named to either the first- or second-team, with eight receiving multiple mentions.
MAC Player of the Year: Kelly Hunt, Bowling Green
MAC Pitcher of the Year: Bryan Bullington, Ball State
MAC Freshman of the Year: Brian Bixler, Eastern Michigan
MAC Coach of the Year: Roger Coryell, Eastern Michigan
