Missouri's Jerry Schoonmaker is Named All-American

Tiger Star Set College Homer Pace
(Columbia Daily Tribune, June 23, 1954)

Jerry Schoonmaker, Missouri's hard-hitting center fielder, today was named to the sixth annual All-American college baseball team chosen by the American Association of College Baseball Coaches.
The 22-year-old junior, who has been elected captain of the 1955 Tigers, batted at a .425 clip and pounded out nine home runs - top total among All-Americans - during the regular 1954 season that saw the Missourians become national baseball champions.
Schoonmaker's average was 40 points above the .385 combined batting average of the All-

American team announced at East Lansing, Mich., by John H. Kobs, Michigan State baseball coach, who is president of the coaches association.
Schoonmaker compiled a .348 average in six games in the NCAA colelge world series at Omaha last week as the Tigers won the series championship. He had one round-tripper in the series.
Schoonmaker also paced Missouri hitters during the regular season with 36 runs-batted-in and 24 base hits for 65 total bases.
The Associated Press termed the mythical all-stars aggregation a "dream team for some professional managers."
Only two of the first team All-Americans participated in the NCAA College World Series at Omaha, Neb., June 10-15. Michigan State's catcher, Tom Yewcic, and Missouri's Schoonmaker.
Yewcic was voted the "most valuable player" in the Omaha tourney by the newsmen covering the five day event.
Schoonmaker becomes the third Missouri baseball player to make the All-American team in recent years. Don Boenker, a pitcher, and Junior Wren, an outfielder, both gained the honor two years ago when the Tigers placed second in the NCAA tourney. Both are now air force officers and Wren has signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox.