Biography
2004-05: Academic All-GLVC and a fall Deans[apos] List student ... played in and started 50 games (36 in left field, 13 at catcher, one at third base) ... led the team in batting average (.312), runs (24), total bases (63), hits (54), walks (20), on-base percentage (.399) and RBI (19) ... second in at-bats (173), slugging percentage (.364), plate appearances (201) and games started, and tied for second in doubles (six) ... third in hit by pitch (five) and putouts (124), and tied for third in stolen bases (four) and games played ... tied for fifth in sacrifice bunts (three) ... scored a team season-high four runs vs. Bloomfield ... tied for the team[apos]s season high in hits (four vs. Mercyhurst and Indianapolis), walks (three vs. Bloomfield), putouts (13 vs. Bellarmine) and at-bats (six vs. St. Bonaventure, Mercyhurst and Indianapolis) ... struck out once every 8.4 plate appearances, the third-best mark on the team ... batted a team-best .307 vs. right-handers, and hit .348 vs. left-handers ... had a .421 on-base average leading off an inning, the team[apos]s third-best mark ... second on the team with seven 2-out RBI ... in addition to his pair of four-hit games, had 15 games with two hits ... had a three-RBI game vs. Wisconsin-Parkside and four 2-RBI outings ... homered vs. Bloomfield ... opened the season with a seven-game hitting streak (12-for-29, .414), and finished the nine-game Florida trip at .400 (14-for-35) ... later had a four-game hitting streak (7-for-14, .500) ... had a stretch of six games (22 plate appearances) without striking out ... played in and started 36 GLVC games and led the team in batting average (.294), hits (35), slugging percentage (.319), walks (11), on-base percentage (.368) and stolen bases (four). 2003-04: A spring Deans[apos] List student ... led the team in sacrifice bunts (eight) ... fourth in walks (17) ... his two sacrifice bunts vs. Saint Joseph[apos]s and two stolen bases vs. Lynn tied for the team[apos]s season highs ... tallied four hits (4-for-4) vs. Barry ... scored three runs in that game, tying the team[apos]s season high ... had three hits in another game vs. Barry and also vs. Indianapolis and Oakland City ... added three 2-hit games ... enjoyed two-RBI outputs vs. Southern Illinois Edwardsville and Concordia (N.Y.) ... did not ground into a double play ... reached base 13 times in 31 plate appearances leading off an inning (.419) ... tied for the team lead with seven sacrifice bunts in GLVC games. 2002-03: Played primarily on the junior varsity team ... made two varsity starts (one GLVC) and handled six chances without an error. High School/Other: Lettered three years as a third baseman ... as a senior, was Morris Daily Herald and Joliet Herald News all-area first team and all-conference first team ... helped lead Morris to the regional title with a .416 batting average, two home runs, 37 RBI and 12 doubles ... as a junior, was Morris Daily Herald all-area first team, Joliet Herald News all-area second team and all-conference first team ... hit .416 with four homers, 33 RBI and 10 doubles that season ... hit .300 with two homers, 25 RBI and 10 doubles as a sophomore ... lettered three years in football ... as a senior, was Morris Daily Herald and Joliet Herald News all-area first team and all-conference first team ... led the team with 32 receptions and added 74 tackles, two sacks and an interception ... Morris was 13-1 and was state runner-up and conference champion. Personal: Son of John and Fran Cross and Mike and Gail Niewinski ... elementary education major.
