Roberts, Olson, Vukovich State League Most Valuables

Nate Roberts of the Lombard Orioles was selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player after winning the league batting title with a .421 average and leading the Orioles to another Wisconsin State League title.

Lombard has now won six straight titles and 11 in the last 14 years.

Roberts was the runaway MVP leader, with Eau Claire’s Brad Archambeau the runner-up and Oshkosh’s Kyle Kannenberg third in voting.

Archambeau was the runner-up in the batting race with a .376 mark. Kannenberg posted a .337 average and finished with a 5-4 record and a 3.58 earned run average as he doubled as a pitcher-infielder. Eau Claire finished second to Lombard and Oshkosh was third.

Kenosha’s Jon Olson was the unanimous pick.as the league’s Most Valuable Pitcher. He had a brilliant year, posting a 0,66 earned run average and a perfect 6-0 record. Tyler Martin (5-0, 2.25) of Eau Claire was runner up in the voting and Matt Erickson of Lombard (4-0, 2.40) third.

The skipper of the champion Orioles, Jeff Vukovich was selected Manager of the Year. The Orioles went 24-8 this year to win the title by four games. Vukovich has won the title for three straight years, five of the last six, and seventh overall. He ties Dennis Ruh of the Green Bay Blue Ribbons as a 7-time winner

Addison’s Will Schinagl and Oshkosh’s Drew Eichsteadt shared Rookie of the Year honors. Schinagl hit .359 and led the league in home runs with four. Eichsteadt hit .333.

The awards will be presented at the league’s annual dinner, scheduled for Jan. 23 at The Bull in Sheboygan Falls. Joining the 2009 honorees will be the new inductees into the Wisconsin State League Hall of fame. Selected in this third class are Troy Cota and Dan Miller of the Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Phil Plamann who split his career between the Appleton Merchants and the Blue Ribbons, Tim Richardson of the Lombard Orioles and Chuck Zeichert, the longtime manager of the Sheboygan A’s.

Cost for the dinner is $25. All baseball fans are welcome and can make reservations by sending a check for $25 per person to Wisconsin State League, P.O. Box 32, Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032.