Fadness, Johnson, Guetzke, Vukovich State League Honorees

The Wisconsin State League’s 2011 batting champion Nolan Fadness was selected the season’s Most Valuable Player by the league managers.

Fadness, who hit .438 to reign as the league’s only .400 hitter, helped Eau Claire to a second place finish. The Cavaliers finished one game behind the Lombard Orioles.

Fadness, who played shortstop for Eau Claire, led the league in hits, 32, and racked up 23 stolen bases to walk away with that honor. He set a single game record with seven stolen bases this year.

Fadness racked up 15 points in MVP voting. Sheboygan’s Tim Patzman was a distant second in balloting with six. Matt Miller of Eau Claire was third with five.

Earned run champion Randy Johnson of Kenosha was elected pitcher of the year. He recorded 13 voting points.  Eau Claire’s Brady Sand was second with 10 and Sheboygan’s Collin Weyer third with eight. Johnson had a 1.71 ERA and went 3-3 for the Kings. Sand was 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA and Weyer was 3-1 and 1.93.

Brock Guetzke of Oshkosh was picked as Rookie of the Year, collecting 18 points to 11 for Manitowoc’s Kevin Valerio. Guetzke finished third in hitting with a .369 average behind Fadness and his Oshkosh teammate Blake Berger, who finished second with a .378 average.

Jeff Vukovich, skipper of the champion Lombard Orioles was picked Manager of the Year with 12 points. Eau Claire’s Mark McHorney and Manitowoc’s Nat Richter tied for second with 10 points. For Vukovich, it was the fifth straight year he was named top manager, and the ninth time in his career.

Fadness, Manitowoc Catcher Max Stepan, Patzman and Eau Claire designated hitter Will Fadness were unanimous all league selections.

The all-league team follows:

First Team
1B – Nick Mitedero (Lombard Orioles)
2B – Nat Richter (Manitowoc Bandits)
3B – Mark Cibrario (Kenosha Kings)
SS – Nolan Fadness (Eau Claire Cavaliers)
C – Max Stepan (Manitowoc Bandits)
OF – Tim Patzman (Sheboygan A’s)
OF – Blake Berger (Oshkosh Giants)
OF – Paul Pulera (Kenosha Kings)
DH – Will Fadness (Eau Claire Cavaliers)
LHP – Jake Peterson (Eau Claire Cavaliers)
RHP – Brady Sand (Eau Claire Cavaliers)        

Second Team
1B – Brock Guetzke (Oshkosh Giants)
2B – Matt Miller (Eau Claire Cavaliers) 
3B – Brock Wetenkamp (Manitowoc Bandits)
SS – Tommy Kawamura (Manitowoc Bandits)
C – James Lacey (Oshkosh Giants)
OF – Rick Angell (Lombard Orioles)
OF – Kevin Valerio (Manitowoc Bandits)
OF – Sam Spurney (Manitowoc Bandits)
LHP – Liam O’Brien (Manitowoc Bandits)
RHP – Randy Johnson (Kenosha Kings)

Awards will be presented at the league Awards and Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, January 28, at the Heritage House located at The Bull in Sheboygan Falls, WI.