Volume 113 >> Issue 29 : Wednesday, June 23, 1993

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MIT Baseball Dominates Academic All-America Team

MIT baseball players dominate the recently released GTE College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Team. Battery mates Peter Hinteregger '93, pitcher, and his catcher Ian Somerville '93, were each named to the first team while outfielder Brooks Mendell '93 was a second team selection. Hinteregger was 8-2 for the Engineers with a 2.58 earned run average and is an architecture major. Somerville, who majors in mechanical engineering, led the team in hitting (.373) and fielding (.987). Mendell, a political science major, batted .293 and led the team in runs batted in (27). The three seniors were also selected tri-most valuable players on the team.

Other Academic All-Americans

In other Academic All-America news, Seema Jayachandran '93 and Rob Silva '93 were each named first team GTE CoSIDA Academic All-District in the "At-Large" category. Jayachandran is a tennis player and carried a double major of physics and electrical engineering. Silva played both lacrosse and hockey and majored in mechanical engineering. Named to the second team All-District squads were gymnast Julie Lyren '93, skier Kate Bergeron '93, men's volleyball player Satoshi Asari '93, and pole vaulter Matt Robinson '94.

Yachting

Paula Lewin '93 and Gina Middaugh '93 recently capped their careers by winning post season honors. Lewin was one of 20 skippers nationally to be named to the women's All-America team, and was also one of two women named to one of ten honorable mention All-America spots on the co-educational team. Middaugh was named to one of the 20 national All-Star Crew positions. MIT finished sixth in the recently completed Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association Women's national championships held at St. Mary's College in Maryland. In the "A" Division Lewin and Middaugh finished their careers by tying a squad from Connecticut College for the low point total in the division. The pair lost a tiebreaker for first place. The Engineers' "B" Division entry finished in tenth place.

Track and Field

Mike Piepergerdes '93 was the only Engineer track athlete to place at the recently completed National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III National Championships held at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio. Piepergerdes placed second in the meet and earned All-America honors for his school record performance in the 1500 meter run. Piepergerdes was forced to run a trial to qualify for the finals, fly back to MIT for graduation, and then fly back to Ohio for the finals of the event. Piepergerdes took the lead early in the race despite a strong wind, but was unable to hold on to the lead in the last stretch. Piepergerdes, who was voted the team most valuable player, lost by one second.

Men's Tennis

MIT tennis player Alan Walpole '93 has become the first Engineer player to be named All-America in both singles and doubles. Walpole received the singles honor by being a seeded singles player at the NCAA Division III Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Walpole and teammate Jay Muelhoefer '94 reached the semi-finals in the doubles competition before losing to the eventual champions.

O'Brien coaches all star team

MIT baseball coach Francis C. O'Brien Jr. coached the Division II and Division III All-New England baseball team in their annual game against the Division I All-New England team on June 7 at Fenway Park.

This honor came after O'Brien's 25th and most successful season at MIT in which he led the Engineers to a 22-11 record and guided them to an Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Division III Championship. The baseball team's success also earned Coach O'Brien the distinction of New England Division III Coach of the Year by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association and the American Baseball Coaches' Association.

O'Brien began coaching the baseball team in the fall of 1968 and was also head coach of the Engineers' basketball team from 1972 to 1986. Aside from his duties as baseball coach, O'Brien has served as Assistant Athletic Director for Intercollegiate and Club Sports since 1986.