Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Four Valparaiso University players were selected this past week to compete in their summer baseball league’s All-Star Game.

A pair of student-athletes, sophomore outfielder Michael Morman (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic H.S.) and junior infielder Andy Burns (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville H.S.), will take the field for the North All-Stars in the 2011 Chicago Suburban Baseball League (CSBL) All-Star Game. The best collegiate players from the North Division and the South Division have been selected to face off against each other on Wednesday (July 13), at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood, Ill.

Morman, who made 55 starts as a freshman for the Crusaders this past spring, has been one of the top hitters in the CSBL playing for the Crystal Lake Cardinals. He is currently leading the league with a .468 batting average and has helped the Cardinals to an overall record of 25-7. Burns, who is transferring to Valpo from Heartland Community College, has been a consistent performer for the Lexington Snipes, playing middle infield and hitting .260 with seven stolen bases.

Red-shirt junior catcher Billy Cribbs (Rochester, Mich./Rochester H.S.) has been named to the 2011 Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) All-Star Game, which will be played on Wednesday at The Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cribbs plays for the Southern Ohio Copperheads and leads his team with a .429 batting average.

Sophomore centerfielder Chris Manning (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro H.S.) has been named to the West Division All-Star team of the Prospect League. The 2011 Prospect League All-Star game will also be played Wednesday at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, W. Va. Manning plays for the Terre Haute Rex and ranks among the top-10 hitters in the Prospect League with his .350 average.  He leads the league with five triples and also has 10 stolen bases. The Rex are currently tied for first place in the West Division.