Mount’s Matre Named HCAC Baseball Most Valuable Player
May 14, 2008
GREENWOOD , IN – College of Mount St. Joseph’s Steve Matre (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) has been named the 2008 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in baseball. The sophomore pitcher helped guide the Lions to the regular season HCAC championship.
Matre did not allow a single earned run in conference play, posting a 0.00 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and a HCAC record eight saves in 17.2 innings of work. In those appearances, his opponents only mustered four hits against him in conference play.
Overall in 2008, Matre had a 0.84 ERA in 20 appearances. He recorded 10 total saves and struck out 39 opponents in 32 innings of work. His opponents only hit .150 against him at the plate this season.
Mount’s Ben Stroube (North Bend, Ohio/St. Xavier) has been selected as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Stroube, an outfielder for the Lions, hit .423 (33-for-78) in conference play and had 20 runs, 16 RBI, 13 doubles, a triple, and two home runs. He had a .692 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage.
Stroube hit .356 (48-for-135) with 27 runs, 24 RBI, 17 doubles, three triples, and four home runs overall in 2008. He had a slugging percentage of .615 and an on-base percentage of .399 for the Lions who finished the season 24-18 overall and 16-5 in conference play.
The HCAC has also awarded the 2008 Coach of the Year award to Mount St. Joseph Head Coach Chuck Murray. In his 12 th season as the skipper for the Lions, Murray guided his team to the school’s third HCAC baseball championship with a 16-5 mark in conference action. Coach Murray also claimed the Coach of the Year award in 2003.
Matre and Stroube join 20 other players on the All-HCAC First Team. There are also 14 players on the All-HCAC Second Team. The All-HCAC Honorable Mention list includes 17 athletes.