MARSHALL, Minn.: The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team announced its team award winners for the 2010 season.  The members of the Mustang team selected the awards with senior first baseman Andrew Kinney and senior pitcher Adam Schrader, headlining the list, earning the team's most valuable player and most valuable pitcher awards respectively.

Junior outfielder Tyler Fayden was named the team's best defensive player, while the final award went to junior pitcher Matt Paulsen, who earned the Mustang Award, which goes to a player who best exemplifies the character, spirit, dedication, hard work and enthusiasm for SMSU baseball.

Kinney, a native of Coon Rapids, Minn., earns team MVP honors for the second straight season and is just the fifth Mustang player in program history to receive the award multiple times.  Kinney, who tied his own school record with 17 home runs this season, led the team with 48 RBIs and also had 13 multi-RBI games.  He batted .349 with nine doubles, two triples and 49 runs scored.  A second team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree, Kinney is the school's all-time leader in home runs (50), RBIs (181) and total bases (390).

Schrader, a native of Easton, Minn., earns the team's top pitcher award for the third straight season and is just the third pitcher in school history to earn the award three times.  Schrader finished with a 5-4 record, with a team-low 3.28 ERA in a team-leading 74 innings pitched.  A first team All-NSIC selection, he led the team with 12 starts, while recording a team-high 62 strikeouts and tossing three complete games, including two shutouts.  Schrader ended his career as the program's all-time leader in strikeouts (244) and games started (48), while finishing second in innings pitched (262.2).

Fayden, a native of Great Falls, Mont., started 44 games in right field recording three assists and 74 putouts.  A second team All-NSIC selection, he batted .414 recording a team-high 65 base hits, a team-high 16 doubles, while also smacking six home runs and 37 RBIs.     

Paulsen, a junior pitcher from Pipestone, Minn., missed most of the 2009 season with an injury, but came back this season to pitch in 19 games out of the bullpen, ranking second on the team, with a 4.50 ERA?in 12 innings with four strikeouts.  He did not allow a run in 14 of his 19 appearances.
 
Southwest Minnesota State University is a member of NCAA Division II and is located in Marshall, Minn.  SMSU finished the 2010 season 29-18 overall, including 22-10 in the NSIC, tying for fourth place in the standings.  The 29 victories is the fifth highest in school history.  The Mustangs advanced to the championship game of the NSIC tournament before losing 6-5 to Minnesota State.