Mlachnik and Abromaitis each earned postseason awards
Milwaukee, Wis. – Though the year ended earlier for the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves then it did for many of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball teams, the Wolves still managed to walk away with a few postseason awards, including the biggest individual honor in the conference. After a standout season, junior Dean Mlachnik earned the CCAC Player of the Year Award, becoming the first Stritch baseball player to ever receive the honor. Senior Andy Abromaitis also received props for his efforts this season, making the Honorable Mention All-Conference team.
Mlachnik, a transfer, led Stritch in almost every offensive category and was named to the All-Conference team for third base. He ended the season with a .428 batting average and led the league in both doubles, with 22, and triples, with nine. He recorded a .728 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .474. The Muskego, Wis. native earned 55 RBI, 15 more than any other Stritch player. Mlachnik had multiple hits in 21 games this season, including a five hit game on Apr. 2 against Calumet St. Joseph.
The CCAC Player of the Year brought both leadership and consistency to the Wolves. Mlachnik hit .857 with bases loaded and went a perfect 14-14 when runners were on third base with less than two out. He showed patience at the plate, walking 14 times, fourth best on the team. Mlachnik added to his bag of tricks with his base running, stealing 10 bases on the season, second only to the speedy Sterling Smith. With another year to play, Mlachnik has another whole season to shine for the Wolves.
In his final season with the Wolves, Abromaitis made a big impact on the Stritch lineup and earned All-Conference honors for the first time in his career at Stritch. The Oak Creek, Wis. native recorded a .348 batting average and a .469 on base percentage. He was second on the team with 40 RBI and led the Wolves with five homeruns. He hit .490 with runners in scoring position to lead the team. Abromaitis was also the Wolves best two out hitter, ending the season with a .477 two out average.
The senior led the Wolves with 21 walks. He recorded a fielding percentage of .942 while playing both outfield and first base. Abromaitis recorded ten multi-hit games. He was clutch for the Wolves all season, including his walk-off single to win the Wolves a game against the then second place Judson Eagles, 4-3, on Apr. 28.
Mlachnik and Abromaitis were part of a young Stritch team that made huge strides from the 2008-09 season and will continue to move forward in the coming years.