PLAYERS FROM SMALL SCHOOLS CATCH BIG HONORS FROM STATE

Garrett Broshuis, Dustin Glastetter, Dustin Dannenmueller, Chris Wallace, Brian Obermann, Josh Eftink, Tommy Stidham and Brad Kolwyck were all stellar.

Now, they're all-state.

Eight area athletes, five of whom were juniors, were recently named to the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association All-State team.

No player from a 3A or 4A school south of Park Hills was given all-state recognition as the large schools and their players were overshadowed and outplayed by the smaller classes.

Josh Eftink and Brian Obermann -- both juniors -- made the first team from Class 2A runner-up Notre Dame. Eftink, a shortstop, was the Bulldogs' best hitter, hitting 12 homers with three coming in the playoffs. He hit .506 and drove in 50 runs.

Obermann was the Bulldogs' ace pitcher. The southpaw finished the season at 10-1, with a 1.85 earned run average, 61 strikeouts and 20 walks in 72 1/3 innings. Obermann won the state semifinal game.

Oran -- the third-place team in Class 1A -- also had two representatives on the team. Dustin Glastetter was a second-team selection and infielder Dannenmueller made the first team.

Broshuis and Wallace both were named to the first team from Advance, which was eliminated 2-1 in the district championship game by Oran. Broshuis, a junior, was the most overpowering pitcher in the area, striking out 105 batters on the season and walking 36 in 57 2/3 innings pitched. Broshuis had a 2.31 earned run average. He pitched a seven-inning game earlier this year where he fanned 19 batters.

Wallace, who will be playing ball at Three Rivers Community College next year, led Southeast Missouri with 12 regular-season homers this past season and batted .507 with 38 RBIs, despite playing with an injury in the beginning of the season.

Kelly's Kolwyck, a junior, was a first-team outfielder, hitting and area-best .529 with nine homers and 35 RBIs. Kolwyck had an amazing stretch this past season where he hit five homers in five consecutive at-bats.

Stidham earned second-team honors to represent Chaffee. Stidham was arguably the best leadoff hitter in Southeast Missouri this past year, and was certainly the most aggressive base runner. Stidham was 27-for-28 in steal attempts. He batted .492 and reached base 63 percent of the time he stepped into the box. He walked 21 times and struck out just nine times.

ALL STATE

Class 1A

(First team)

Garrett Broshuis, Advance

Chris Wallace, Advance

Dustin Dannenmueller, Oran

(Second team)

Dustin Glastetter, Oran

Class 2A

(First team)

Brian Obermann, Notre Dame

Josh Eftink, Notre Dame

Brad Kolwyck, Kelly

(Second team)

Tommy Stidham, Chaffee