Gustavus Adolphus junior baseball player Tony Konicek (Rochester, Minn. / Mayo) has been named to the Rawlings/NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region First Team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Konicek, a center fielder, also received the Max Molock Award as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s Most Valuable Player after leading the league in batting average (.484), hits (59), doubles (16), home runs (8), runs batted in (48) and total bases (101). Konicek played in 34 of Gustavus’ 40 games, starting all 34 in center field.
In the field, Konicek made only one error in 88 chances. During the season, Konicek recorded a pair of MIAC individual highs, rapping five hits, including three doubles, in a game against Augsburg April 15. Konicek’s batting average, which ranked fourth in all of Division III in 2006, is the third highest single-season average in team history, while his RBI total of 48 ranks second-best all-time. Konicek was also ranked nationally in slugging percentage (seventh, .828), runs batted in per game (tenth, 1.41), doubles per game (24th, 0.47) and home runs per game (46th, 0.24).
With a pair of home runs against Buena Vista on May 9, Konicek became one of three Gusties and just nine players in the MIAC this season to homer twice in a game. Konicek, who posted a .519 on base percentage, was equally adept at getting rallies started and keeping them going, hitting .688 (11-16) as the first batter in the inning, .500 (35-70) with runners on base and .596 (28-47) with two outs on the board. Konicek recorded 22 two-out RBI and left only 12 stranded in over 125 plate appearances.
Konicek was also an All-Midwest Region selection in 2004, along with current senior Ben Sherer.
Konicek, an accounting major, is the son of Tamara Konicek of Rochester and a 2003 graduate of Mayo High School.