Feb. 20, 2007
LUBBOCK, Texas -
Illinois State sophomore catcher Kevin Dubler had a standout year as a freshman, playing in 52 games and starting 48 for the Redbird baseball team as well as hitting .259 and leading the team in home runs. That mixture of experience and talent seems to be carrying over into his second season, as Dubler was recognized for his performance last weekend at the UTA Invitational by being named to the College Baseball Foundation's "National Players of the Week" Honor Roll on Tuesday.
Each week, the College Baseball Foundation compiles its honor roll of pitchers and position players from around the country who performed well in competition the week prior. Dubler, who was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Monday, joins 44 other players on this week's list, something that ISU head coach Jim Brownlee believes is well deserved.
"What a lot of people don't realize about how Kevin performed this weekend is that he was hitting for the first time outside all season, which is pretty impressive," said Brownlee. "He continues to put in the time and the work to get better offensively and defensively and the work is starting to pay off. Kevin has a bright future and we are excited about watching him progress for the rest of the season and his career at Illinois State."
Dubler finished the weekend series at the UTA Invitational in Arlington, Texas, with a .400 (6-for-15) batting average, which currently ranks him seventh among players in the Missouri Valley Conference early in the season. The backstop finished the three-game tournament with two doubles, a triple, five runs scored and his first home run of the season in three starts behind the plate for the `Birds.
In Saturday's win over New Mexico, the Downers Grove, Ill., native was 3-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, one RBI and three runs scored. In addition, Dubler was solid in Sunday's contest against No. 7 Nebraska, as he hit his first home run of the season and his fifth in his career at ISU to go along with a double and two runs scored.
