The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

Whiting, Ind. – July 2, 2014 – When the brightest stars of the Midwest Collegiate League take the field at Oil City Stadium on Wednesday, July 9 for the 2014 MCL All-Star Game, the home fans will have a chance to cheer on eight different members of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen.

Pitchers Cameron Linck (Kingwood HS | Hill College), Keith Mahler (Highland | Heartland CC), Jimmy McNamara (Lake Central | Central Michigan University) and Matt Pobereyko (Bishop Noll | Kentucky Wesleyan) have been named to the South All-Star squad.

Infielders Ryan Burvan (Lake Central | Purdue) and Nate Schneider (Portage Central | Western Michigan) will also participate in the All-Star Game, as will outfielders Craig Dedelow (Munster | Indiana) and Jason Gasser (Mount Carmel | Northern Illinois).

McNamara and Pobereyko are both making All-Star appearances for the second consecutive year. They will become the first players in Oilmen history to participate in multiple MCL All-Star Games in their careers.

Pobereyko has been a force to be reckoned with out of the Oilmen bullpen this season. He is the all-time Midwest Collegiate League saves leader with eight this season and 13 in his career. No other MCL pitcher has more than one save this season. Pobereyko has allowed only one earned run all year and none when pitching in save situations. He holds a 0.73 ERA and has 21 strikeouts against just three walks.

McNamara (2-1) has worked 21 1/3 innings for Northwest Indiana and holds a 3.80 ERA in four starts. He has recorded 21 strikeouts and walked only one batter all season.

Linck and Mahler have earned All-Star honors in their first seasons in the Midwest Collegiate League. Linck leads the league in wins with four and holds a 4-0 record this season. He has racked up 27 strikeouts, issued 14 walks and holds a 1.55 ERA.

Mahler and Linck have identical ERAs as both pitchers have allowed five earned runs in 29 innings of work. Mahler has been victimized by a lack of run support and holds a 2-3 record this season. Mahler has walked five and struck out 22.

Gasser has been among the most consistent offensive players for the Oilmen all season, boasting a batting average of .339 in 16 games. He has seven doubles, nine bases on balls and 10 runs batted in.

Dedelow has been a solid bat in the middle of the Oilmen order this season. He has six doubles and 10 RBIs to go along with a .team-best .378 batting average. Dedelow also leads the team in on-base percentage at .431 and ranks second in doubles with six.

Schneider just completed a productive week, boosting his average to .313 and solidifying his status on the South All-Star squad. He currently holds a six-game hitting streak and had back-to-back multi-hit games Sunday and Tuesday. Over the last four games, Schneider’s average has climbed from .265 to .313.

Burvan has shined both offensively and defensively with the Oilmen this season. He holds a .288 batting average in 17 games while producing an on-base percentage of .368.

The Midwest Collegiate League All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 9 at Oil City Stadium with the first pitch slated for 7:30 p.m. Fifty percent of the revenue from all tickets sales will benefit the family of Bryce Nowakowski, the son of Calumet College of St. Joseph head baseball coach Brian Nowakowski. Bryce, age one, is currently fighting for his life and waiting for a heart transplant.

The Midwest Collegiate League All-Star Game will be held at Oil City Stadium for the third time. The South All-Stars, comprised of players from the Oilmen, Southland Vikings and Lexington Snipes, will faceoff with the North All-Stars, comprised of players from the DuPage County Hounds, Joliet Admirals and Chicago Zephyrs. The South will be managed by Southland’s Chris Cunningham, while DuPage’s Sean Osborne will head up the North squad.