Allen Balmer 2006 NAIA World Series MVP
6-7-06  

LEWISTON, Idaho -- Being the son of former National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American third-baseman Gary Balmer, it’s been said that Allen Balmer has followed in his father’s footsteps. This season, however, Balmer has left a foot print of his own in the history books of collegiate baseball.

Allen, who also plays third base, helped the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team capture the title in the 50^th annual Avista NAIA World Series at Lewiston, Idaho last week. It was Allen’s second national title, a feat never reached by his father, who was a standout at the Lewiston college in the early 1980s. 

A Lewiston, Idaho native, Allen joined LCSC in 2002 as a freshman. He started all four years and helped the Warriors to their 14^th national championship in 22 years, a feat unmatched in the NAIA ranks at any sport. 

Overall at LCSC, Allen recorded 245 hits, established a batting average of .341, and averaged less than 12 errors a season. Although he hit .377 with a team-leading seven home runs during the regular season this year, it was his NAIA World Series performance that set him apart from other players and earned him the title of MVP.  

After going 0-for-4 in a first-round defeat to Lubbock Christian University, Allen smacked 12 hits – including three doubles – scored six runs, and drove in seven during the next five games. Allen’s performance earned him a spot on the All-Tournament Team and the Most Valuable Player award. 

Allen is getting used to such honors. He was a standout quarterback and third-baseman at Lewiston High School despite undergoing three knee surgeries. He also played for the Lewis-Clark Twins American Legion baseball team, which finished second in the 2002 national tournament. 

His love of baseball helped him push through some painful days with the knees, but he managed to stay healthy during his college years. 

Winning a national title and the MVP award continued a couple of wild weeks for Allen. On May 22, his fiance Marie Lauder gave birth to the couple’s first child, Brody, in the afternoon. That evening, Allen hit a home run dedicated to his son in a loss to Washington State University. 

Four days later, the Warriors suffered a loss in the opening round of the 10-team double-elimination national tournament. Allen, however, paved the way to five straight LCSC loser-out victories and the title as he picked up the game-winning hit in two of the contests. 

His parents never missed a game as his dad is now employed at the college. The year after Gary finished his eligibility, LCSC won its first national title. His name still dots the LCSC record book in several hitting categories. 

Because of the circumstances during the final two weeks of the season, Allen’s accomplishments won’t soon be forgotten by Warriors fans.