Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Four members of the University of Delaware baseball team earned All-Conference honors at the annual awards banquet held at UNC Wilmington on Tuesday evening.

Junior third baseman Carlos Alonso led the way, earning second-team honors. Seniors Bill Merkler and Ryan Reed were also third-team selections, while freshman ace Rich O'Donald garnered All-Rookie nods.

During the regular season, Alonso led Delaware with a .387 batting average, 19 doubles, and 12 stolen bases. A pillar at the top of the batting order, he also enters the playoffs ranked fourth in the CAA with a .489 on-base percentage and eighth with 56 runs scored.

A starter in all 45 contests, including 44 at third base, he reached base safely in every game during the regular season and posted at least one hit in 42. He pieced together a season-best 15-game hitting streak during the middle of the year and currently has an active 10-game roll.

Merkler, who was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Year, reached new heights during his senior campaign. During the regular season, he posted a .357 batting average with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. He ranks sixth in the CAA in home runs and ninth with a .643 slugging percentage.

One of the top power threats in program history, he earned CAA Player of the Week honors after launching a pair of grand slams during a doubleheader against Manhattan on March 7. Overall, Merkler has posted 35 home runs in his career, which is tied for fourth on the program’s all-time list.

Reed earned third-team honors after putting together a sensational senior season as the team’s starting catcher. He currently ranks second on the team with a .361 batting average and third with a .580 slugging percentage. Reed has also blasted nine home runs, scored 39 times, and posted 37 RBI entering the postseason.

A workhorse behind the plate as well, he was named the team’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year after serving as Delaware’s starting backstop in 38 games. Over that time, he has gunned down 16 attempted base stealers. He also leads all CAA catchers with four pick-offs.

O’Donald has pieced together one of the finer freshman campaigns in recent history after helping anchor the Blue Hens’ conference rotation throughout the season. He currently leads all Delaware starters and ranks eighth in the CAA with a 4.18 ERA, while his .242 batting-average-against is the lowest on the team and the third best in the league.

A three-time CAA Rookie of the Week selection, he has posted a 5-3 record during the year. The standout right-hander also has tossed three complete games, which is tied for second in the conference. On April 12, he became the first Blue Hen to fire a nine-inning shutout in eight years after blanking the Hofstra Pride.

Along with the four Blue Hens, the CAA honored George Mason’s Chris Henderson and Scott Krieger as Co-Players of the Year. Henderson was also honored as the league’s top defensive player, while Old Dominion’s Brett Harris was named the Rookie of the Year. George Mason’s Bill Brown garnered the Coach of the Year award as well.

The awards ceremony was presented on the eve of the 2009 CAA Championship, which starts tomorrow at Brooks Field. Delaware will open the Tournament at 12 noon when the team takes on No. 1 seed George Mason.