Chad Carman and Steve Vitale of Oklahoma City University were named NAIA baseball all-Americans, said sports information director Richard Tortorelli.
Vitale, a senior third baseman from East Meadow, N.Y., made the second team, while Carman, a sophomore catcher from Midwest City, Okla., became an honorable-mention selection. Brad Riddle also earned an NAIA scholar-athlete award.
Vitale put together a .387 batting average, 18 doubles, four triples, 24 home runs and 84 RBIs. He hit .389 with 181 hits, 38 doubles, 11 triples, 38 homers, and 142 RBIs in two years at OCU. Vitale was a first-team all-Sooner Athletic Conference performer.
Carman led the team with a .412 average to go with 22 doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 56 RBIs. In the NAIA Championship Opening-Round Group 5 Tournament, Carman hit .538 with three homers and seven RBIs. He went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs against Northwestern (Iowa) on May 18. In the postseason, Carman hit .388 with three doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs. Carman also made first-team all-SAC.
Riddle, a senior right-handed pitcher from Bethany, Okla., had a 3.53 grade-point average while majoring in history and secondary education. Riddle became OCU’s career record holder in appearances with 101, finishing second on the NAIA all-time list. Riddle had an 11-6 record, 3.98 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched in four years at OCU.
The Stars went 50-16 with a berth in the NAIA World Series and championships in the NAIA Championship Opening-Round Group 5 Tournament and the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. OCU has posted 12 consecutive 50-win seasons and the most wins in college baseball since 1991.
