ST. LOUIS -- Six members of the Bradley Baseball team were voted to the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete teams, led by first-teamers Eitan Barbalat (Thornhill, Ontario/Westmount Collegiate Institute), Ryan Curry (Downers Grove, Ill./South H.S.) and Ryan Eigsti (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S.), according to an announcement from the league office Monday.
In addition to the three first-team Valley Scholar-Athletes, Bradley also produced three honorable mention performers: Jon Goebel (Dorsey, Ill./Edwardsville H.S.), Colby Luttrell (Kincaid, Ill./South Fork H.S.) and Peter Malinowski (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South H.S.). Bradley and Creighton were the only two schools with three first-team representatives and Wichita State (seven) was the only school with as many overall baseball scholar-athletes as Bradley's six honorees.
In order to be eligible for the MVC Scholar-Athlete Baseball teams, nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Student-athletes also must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institutions. The league's scholar-athlete teams are voted upon by the primary sports information contacts for each sport.
Barbalat, who was selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America second team last month, boasts a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a cell and molecular biology major. The junior right-hander went 1-2 with one save and a 1.61 earned run average in 11 appearances during the 2007 season. Bradley's starting second baseman, Curry led The Valley in batting this spring with a .416 batting average and ended his career as the school's all-time leader with 253 career base hits. He graduated last month with a degree in business managment and administration and a final 3.18 GPA. Eigsti, Bradley's starting catcher, was one of four repeat first-team Valley Scholar-Athletes and boasts a 3.58 GPA as a construction major.
After transferring to Bradley from St. Louis Community College - Forest Park, Goebel completed his first year with the Braves by posting a 3-2 won-loss record with a 6.53 earned run average in 2007. The junior right-hander owns a 3.20 cumulative GPA in history. A sophomore outfielder, Luttrell hit .265 last spring and led The Valley with nine outfield assists. Enrolled in Bradley's Academic Exploration Program, Luttrell owns a 3.22 cumulative GPA. Malinowski was Bradley's primary designated hitter against left-handed pitching and the team's top pinch-hitter. Malinowski hit .299 for the season and drilled his first home run of the season during Bradley's opening-game win against Evansville at the 2007 MVC Baseball Tournament. Malinowski owns a 3.21 GPA as an accounting major.
In addition to their success in the classroom, the six Bradley Scholar-Athlete honorees played key roles in one of the most successful seasons in recent Bradley Baseball history. The 2007 Braves finished with a 32-21 overall record and claimed third place in both the Valley regular-season race and during the postseason tournament.
