Brown, Crandell named second team all-conference

CEDAR RAPIDS - Simpson baseball players Paul Brown and Tyler Crandell earned Second Team All-Iowa Conference honors, as announced Tuesday.

Brown, a senior pitcher from Polk City, Iowa, led the team with a 3.19 ERA and tied for the team-lead in wins, going 6-3. The right-hander made 10 starts, throwing 62 innings and tossing five complete games. He ranked in the top 10 in the conference in ERA and strikeouts and allowed the fifth-fewest walks with 15. Against conference opponents he went 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA.

Crandell, a sophomore centerfielder from Ames, Iowa, started all 41 games for the Storm. He hit .338 and tied for the team lead with 52 hits, including four dubles, five triples and a home run. The switch-hitter drove in 23 runs and carried a slugging percentage of .448. He led the team with 14 steals on the year, going a perfect 14-14. He committed only one error in 68 chances and had three outfield assists.

Simpson closed the 2011 season with a 23-18 record, finishing third at the Iowa Conference Tournament with a record of 2-2. The Storm finished fourth during the regular season with a 13-10 mark in league play.