Lincoln - After earning Freshman All-America
accolades from Collegiate Baseball last week, Nebraska's Pat Kelly was the
first-team choice at second base on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association Freshman All-American Team released Monday morning. A total of 32
freshmen from 28 teams across the country were selected to the first and second
teams.
Since the
team was started in 2008, Kelly is the first Husker to be named a freshman
All-American by the NCBWA, and Kelly is the first NU freshman since Johnny Dorn
in 2005 to be named a freshman All-American by two organizations. Dorn earned
honors from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.
Kelly made a
quick transition to college pitching and was one of the Huskers' top offensive
threats with a .313 average, eight home runs and 37 RBI's in 41 starts. He was
twice named Big Ten Freshman of the Week and was a third-team All-Big Ten
selection.
The Red
Wing, Minn., native was third on the team with a .521 slugging percentage and
his eight home runs were the most homers by a freshman at Nebraska who played
at Haymarket Park. They were also the most homers by a Husker freshman since
2000, when Matt Hopper hit 21 at Buck Beltzer Stadium. Kelly hit throughout the
Husker lineup and produced 16 extra-base hits, including six doubles and two
triples in addition to his eight home runs.
Kelly came
up with clutch hits all season for NU, as he hit .367 with runners on base and
.364 with runners in scoring position. He had 11 multi-hit games on the year,
including a pair of four-hit games. He drove in at least two runs 11 times,
including a career-high five RBI's against Penn State at the Big Ten Tournament
in a 12-3 win over the Nittany Lions.
