A pair of Illinois State baseball players, Dave MacDonald and Kyle Bloom, have been named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American baseball team, earning honorable mention honors.
MacDonald and Bloom were two of nine Missouri Valley Conference representatives to earn honorable mention recognition and were selected to the squad by Collegiate Baseball who released the team today.
Bloom, a native of Bettendorf, Iowa and graduate of Pleasant Valley High School, was one of the Birds starting pitchers this season posting a 4-5 record. In 56.1 inning pitched, he allowed 49 earned runs and 71 hits while also leading the team in strikeouts with 55. The southpaw also ranked fifth in the Valley with 8.79 strikeouts per game.
A Downers Grove, Ill. native and graduate of Downers Grove South High School, MacDonald saw action in 16 games as a relief pitcher this season. He posted a 5.09 earned run average and 3-2 record. Another left-handed pitcher, MacDonald allowed 20 earned runs and 44 hits while walking seven and notched the lowest ERA among all Redbird relief hurlers.
Illinois State finished the 2002 season with a 24-30 record, placing seventh in the regular-season standings.
