FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

D3baseball.com All-Central Region

May 19, 2014 – North Central College student-athlete Sam Klein was honored by D3baseball.com on Monday, as the junior third baseman was recognized as a Second Team All-Central Region selection.

Klein was one of 12 players from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) to earn All-Region distinctions, including Wheaton College's Trey Martin earning Player of the Year.  North Central has earned an All-Region selection in six of the last seven seasons dating back to 2008, head coach John Fitzgerald's first year at the helm.

Klein was a First Team All-CCIW selection, leading the team in nearly every offensive category this season, batting .340 on the season with a team-leading 55 hits, 36 runs scored, 80 total bases, while slugging .494 with an on-base percentage of .421 and a CCIW leading four triples. Klein started all 42 games this season, making the switch from outfield to third base a quarter of the way through the season to fill a void left by injuries elsewhere on the team, showcasing his versatility.

North Central narrowly missed out on a CCIW Tournament Championship, falling to Illinois Wesleyan 8-3 on May, 10 after overcoming three-straight elimination games, as the Cardinals finished the season with an overall record of 27-15, posting a fourth-place finish in the conference standings with a record of 12-9.