Lincoln - The National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced on Wednesday afternoon that
Nebraska sophomore designated hitter Michael Pritchard had been named a
third-team All-American by the organization. The honor is the first of
Pritchard's career and marks the second straight season the Huskers have
produced an All-American, after third baseman Cody Asche was a second-team pick
by Collegiate Baseball in 2011.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2012, Pritchard put
together one of the best seasons by a Husker hitter in recent memory, as he
tied Derek Dukart (1994) for the third-longest hitting streak in school history
at 25 games. The streak
started in the Huskers' Big Ten opener against Illinois on March 23, when
Pritchard produced two hits, and came to an end in the series opener against
Minnesota on May 11. He notched a pair of hits 10 times during the streak, including
three or more hits twice. Teammate Richard Stock ended the season with a
21-game hitting, marking the first time in school history that a pair of
teammates have put together 20-game hitting streaks in the same season.
Hitting in the leadoff spot for most of the 2012 campaign,
Pritchard led the Huskers with a .387 batting average and produced a team-high 82
hits, tying him with Adam Bailey (2010) for the most hits by a Husker in a
season since Ryan Wehrle had 84 in 2006. Pritchard also led the Huskers with a
.447 on-base percentage and was one of the toughest outs in the country with
just 10 strikeouts in 212 at bats. His one strikeout for every 21.2 at bats
ranked eighth in the country, and he was one of just two players from a BCS
conference to rank in the top 10.
During the regular
season, Pritchard led the Big Ten with a .379 average and was sixth in the
league in hits with 75. Among other Big Ten designated hitters, no other DH in
the league had more than 50 hits on the year and Pritchard's 10 doubles were the
most among Big Ten designated hitters. In 24 Big Ten game, Pritchard hit .333
with 32 hits and scored 22 runs.
Pritchard continued to
swing a hot bat into the postseason with a 7-for-14 performance at the Big Ten
Tournament, including a perfect 4-for-4 day in the Huskers' opener against
Michigan State. Pritchard and Stock were each named to the Big Ten All-Tournament
Team.
Early in the season, Pritchard was named to the Dairy Queen
Classic All-Tournament Team and took home the Silver Stick Award as the
tournament's top hitter. He was 5-for-8 on the weekend with one double, three RBI's
and four runs scored.
