2007 All-BCR baseball team

Area fans that came out to the ball diamonds this spring were able to see one of the most balanced years the BCR has seen with a mix of senior experience and the promise of talented underclassmen.

That leads us to our players of the year in Daniel Murray (Princeton), Tony Bickett (Hall) and Brett Monson (Bureau Valley). Here’s a look at those three and the rest of the 2007 All-BCR baseball team.

Tony Bickett, sr, Hall — Hall coach Tom Keegan came into the season knowing he was going to have to rely on his Tony Bickett a lot as a pitcher and at the plate, and Bickett never backed down. Bickett batted .329 on the season with 13 RBIs. On the mound, Bickett led the Red Devils with 34.1 innings pitched and an ERA of 3.15, which also led the team.

“Tony was a three-year starter for us,” Keegan said. “Along with Matty (Weberski), he threw a lot of innings for us this year, and he showed a willingness to take the ball whenever asked to. Plain and simple, the kid just likes to play baseball.”

Cody Culjan, sr, Bureau Valley — The senior outfielder started out slowly at the plate, but picked it up with a full head of steam as he finished with a .316 batting average to lead the Storm. Culjan also showed his speed off finishing with 13 stolen bases in 13 attempts as he turned on the speed when he needed to get in scoring position for his teammates.

“Cody really struggled at the beginning of the year,” BV coach Jason Stabler said. “We moved him to the fifth spot, and he just took off and was probably our best hitter at the end of the year. If not for the beginning of the season, he may have led the area in average.”

Justin Doty, jr, Bureau Valley — One of the top pitchers in the TRAC-8 in 2007, Doty was not given the respect he deserved when he was selected to the second team All-Three Rivers team, after posting a 2.52 ERA in 53.2 innings of work.

“I definitely think he should have been a first team selection, no questions asked,” Stabler said. “He was solid on the mound all season for us and was a big part of the team.”

Ben Durham, sr, Bureau Valley — “Bull Durham” as most call him, was an all go, all the time, type of player that coaches love to have on the field and in the dugout. Durham was a unanimous first-team selection as an outfielder in the All-Three Rivers, and he was well know for his strong arm. Durham also came on strong at the end of the year to hit .305 on the season.

“When Ben would catch for us, he would pretty much shut down teams trying to run on us,” Stabler said. “Behind the plate and in centerfield he has a absolute cannon for an arm, and extremely accurate as well.”

Brett Monson, sr, Bureau Valley — The senior shortstop/pitcher earned first team All-Three Rivers honors for his play having hit .301 on the season with 10 RBIs, which was good for second on the team. On the mound, Monson had an ERA of 3.82 in 33 innings of work for the Storm with 24 strikeouts. Monson was a unanimous first team infielder in the Trac-8 in 2007.

“Brett came ready to play everyday for us,” Stabler said. “He was solid for us on the mound and gave us some really nice at bats as well.”

Daniel Murray, so, Princeton — One of many young and talented underclassman to take the field for the Tigers, this year, that showed he was ready to step up his play at the varsity level. Murray led the Tigers with a .342 batting average and was second on the team with 13 RBIs and in hits with 17. The sophomore Tiger also pitched a team high 49 innings with a 3.29 ERA.

Murray was named to the All-NCIC Lincoln Division’s First Team.

Jordan Petersen, jr, Hall — One of Hall’s best athletes started out at catcher for the Red Devils, but then moved to centerfield where he used his speed to track down fly balls. Petersen hit .370 on the season with five home runs and 13 RBIs. The move to centerfield earned Petersen an All-NCIC second team selection.

“Jordan is probably the best pure athlete on the team,” Keegan said. “He started out as catcher for us, but as the season wore on we were able to use his skills in center field where he could cover some ground and has a strong, accurate arm. Offensively, he had a break out year in terms of power as he lead our team with 5 homers in 28 games. He is definitely a kid who could pursue this game at the next level.”

Jim Polster, sr, St. Bede — The second team Tri-County selection was a steady bat near the top of the lineup for the Bruins as well as with the glove in the field. When on base, Polster presented all kinds of trouble for opponents, with his speed, forcing the issue and putting pressure on the defense to make a play. Polster will continue his baseball career and education, in the fall, at Rockford College.

Ty Potthoff, sr, St. Bede — Coach John Bellino needed someone to step up and be a leader on the mound and Potthoff more than answered the call, at times shutting down opponents bats. One thing that Potthoff brought to the table was his pick-off move. When runners did get on, they were forced to stay close to the bag as Potthoff was always a threat to pick off the base runners.

Scott Roseberg, fr, Princeton — Only a freshman, but just as he did in basketball, Roseberg showed he belonged at the varsity level. “Rosy” hit .319 which was good for second on the team, and the NCIC Lincoln Second Teamer collected a team-high 15 RBIs for the Tigers as well as 21 hits.

Princeton coach Bob Bima said Roseberg was a pleasant surprise, playing a gold glove center field, and he became the team’s best clutch hitter as a freshman batting cleanup.

“He’s a hard worker with a big upside,” Bima said.

Matt Weberski, sr, Hall — Like teammate Tony Bickett, Weberski was a three-year starter for the Red Devils and was the picture of consistency. The NCIC Lincoln Second team first baseman hit .375 in 2007 and was a steady pitcher.

“Matty was a three-year starter for us,” Keegan said. “Matt played a steady first base and ate up a lot of innings for us on the mound and deserved a better win loss record than what he had. Offensively, for the last two years he has been our most consistent performer and showed some power on occasion this year, and he could have easily been a first team all-conference infielder.”

Brik Wedekind, fr, Princeton — Another of the talented freshman making their presence felt on the varsity diamond, Wedekind proved to be the ace of the Tigers staff on the mound. He was 4-0 with a team best 2.90 ERA, capping his season with an 8-2 win over Sterling Newman in regionals. The NCIC second pitcher struck out 33 batters while giving up just 36 hits in 41 innings pitched.

“He has good velocity on his fastball and mixes in his off-speed pitches well. Smart pitcher with a lot of potential,” Bima said.

Wedekind is a rare talent, one who also became a varsity starter in basketball and saw time with the varsity football team.

BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus contributed to this article.

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