Less than three years after making his major league debut with the Tampa Bay Rays, former Olivet Nazarene University Tiger Ben Zobrist has been named to the 2009 American League All-Star Team, which squares off against the National League All-Stars on Tuesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.
Zobrist played each of his first three seasons (2001-2003) at Olivet Nazarene before transferring to Dallas Baptist University (Tex.) in 2004.
A utility player who has seen time at six different positions during his three seasons with the Rays, Zobrist has settled in as the starting second baseman this year, where he ranks second in the American League in both slugging percentage (.598) and on base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS) (1.012). He is hitting .297 with 17 home runs and 52 runs batted in in 81 games played this year.
Zobrist is part of an entire Tampa Bay infield that has been named to the American League All-Star Team, which will be managed by Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon.
Zobrist made his major league debut on August 1, 2006 with the Rays after originally being drafted in the sixth round of the 2004 draft by the Houston Astros.
Both the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference and NAIA Region VII Player of the Year in 2003, Zobrist also captured NAIA First Team All-America honors that year. One year earlier, he was named to both the all-CCAC and all-Region VII First Teams, while gaining NAIA Honorable Mention All-America status.
Zobrist ranks fifth all-time on the Tigers' career charts in batting average (.376), home runs (18), hits (182) and RBI (145).
| Illinois Tech at | |
| Earlybird Invitational hosted by Elmhurst College @ Eldridge Park, Elmhurst, IL | |
| Trinity Christian at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Meet | |
| Robert Morris at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College (IL) Earlybird Invitational | |
| St. Francis at | 5:45pm |
| Elmhurst College Early Bird Invitational | |
| Trinity Christian at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Meet | |
| Robert Morris at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College (IL) Invitational | |
| St. Francis at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Early Bird Invitational | |
| Judson vs | 2:00pm |
| Spring Arbor University | CST |
| Mt. Vernon Nazarene Invitational (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) | |
| Viterbo University at | 3:00pm |
| Trinity Christian | CST |
| St. Francis vs | 4:00pm |
| Trinity International | CST |
| University of St. Francis Tournament | |
| University of Great Falls vs | 4:30pm |
| Olivet Nazarene | CST |
| Westminster College Classic (Westminster College) Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Saint Ambrose University at | 7:00pm |
| Cardinal Stritch | CST |
| Olivet Nazarene at | 3:00pm |
| Roberts Wesleyan College | CST |
| Roberts Wesleyan College Tournament | |
| Maryville University-St. Louis at | 5:00pm |
| Trinity International | CST |
| Judson at | 7:00pm |
| Embry-Riddle (AZ) | CST |
| Embry-Riddle Invitational l Prescott, AZ | |
| TBA at | |
| Calumet St. Joseph | |
| Crimson Wave Tri | |
| Robert Morris at | |
| Calumet St. Joseph | |
| Cal College Tri-Match | |
| Robert Morris vs | |
| Clarke Univeristy | |
| Cal College Tri-Match | |
| Doane College vs | 1:00pm |
| Olivet Nazarene | CST |
| Labor Day Classic | |
| Lourdes College at | 4:00pm |
| Illinois Tech | CST |
| Illinois Tech Tournament | |
| Saint Xavier vs | 4:00pm |
| St. Catherine's | CST |
| Saint Xavier/Illinois Tech Crossover Tournament - Sept. 3-4 | |
| Trinity Christian vs | 4:00pm |
| University of St. Mary | CST |
| SXU-IIT Crossover | |
| Trinity International vs | 4:00pm |
| Kansas Wesleyan University | CST |
| IIT Tournament | |
| William Penn University at | 4:00pm |
| Cardinal Stritch | CST |
| Wolves Weekend Invitational | |
| St. Francis vs | 6:00pm |
| Siena Heights University | CST |
| Saint Xavier/Illinois Tech Crossover Tournament | |
| Illinois Tech at | 3 |
| Ashford University | 4 |
| Cornerstone University at | 0 |
| Saint Xavier | 1 |
| Cardinal Stritch at | 3 |
| Mount Mary College | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 3 |
| Andrews University | 3 |
| Trinity Christian at | 3 |
| Ashford University | 0 |
| Purdue Calumet at | 0 |
| Goshen College | 3 |
| Trinity International at | 3 |
| Indiana University Northwest | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 2nd of 12 |
| St. Francis August 30th - 31st | |
| St. Francis at | 1 |
| Purdue Calumet | 0 |
| Scrimmage | |
| Calumet St. Joseph at | 1 |
| University of Saint Francis | 3 |
| St. Francis at | 6 |
| Iowa Wesleyan College | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 2 |
| Moody Bible Institute | 5 |
| Culver-Stockton College at | 1 |
| Trinity International | 1 |
| Cardinal Stritch vs | 1 |
| Northwestern College | 0 |
| McKendree University at | (2OT) | 1 |
| Judson | 2 | |
| Judson Classic l McKendree is #21 in NAIA National Poll. | ||
| Grand View University at | 3 |
| Saint Xavier | 2 |
| Missouri Baptist College at | 0 |
| Illinois Tech | 7 |
| Hannibal-LaGrange College at | 2 |
| Robert Morris | 1 |
| Augustana College at | 3 |
| St. Francis | 1 |
| Exhibition | |
| Culver-Stockton College at | 3 |
| Calumet St. Joseph | 2 |
| Saint Ambrose University at | 1 |
| Olivet Nazarene | 0 |
| Cardinal Stritch at | 3 |
| Northwestern College | 1 |
| Saint Xavier vs | 1 |
| Graceland University | 2 |
| Graceland/Grand View Invite, Graceland ranked No. 7 in NAIA | |
| Robert Morris at | (2OT) | 3 |
| Grand View University | 2 |
| St. Francis vs | 3 |
| Bethel College | 1 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn Earlybird Tournament | |
| Judson at | 10:00am |
| Clarke College Invitational (E. Dubuque, IA) - Locoma Golf Course | |
| Robert Morris at | 12:00pm |
| University of Wisconsin--Parkside | CST |
