Lincoln - A pair of University of Nebraska baseball players were honored Tuesday, as Matt Hopper (Golden, Colo.) and Aaron Marsden (Grand Forks, N.D.) were selected as All-Americans, as the American Baseball Coaches Association and College Baseball Insider released its 2003 All-America teams. Hopper was tabbed as a second-team All-American by both publications, while Marsden was tabbed as a second-team selection by College Baseball Insider.
Hopper, who was chosen in the 10th round of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player Draft earlier this month, concluded a tremendous career at Nebraska, finishing his career as the school and Big 12 leader in nearly every offensive category, including hits (338), runs scored (246), homers (64), RBIs (271) and total bases (591). The only three-time all-conference selection in school history, Hopper was chosen as the Big 12?s Player of the Year in 2003, batting .382 with 22 homers and 66 RBIs. He led the Big 12 in both homers and slugging percentage (.717), while ranking among the league?s top-10 in nearly every offensive category.
Marsden, a two-time All-Big 12 selection who was taken in the third round of the 2003 Draft, went 8-3 with a 2.90 ERA, fanning 113 hitters in 115 innings of work. The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Marsden led the league in complete games (five), ranked second in both innings pitched (115) and strikeouts (113) and was third in ERA. In his two years at NU, Marsden has compiled a 16-4 record with a 2.80 ERA, ranking eighth on NU?s innings pitched list (215.0) and ninth on NU?s career strikeout list (188). In the classroom, he was a first-team Academic All-American, as he carries a 3.95 GPA in finance.
Nebraska finished its 2003 season with a 47-18 record, while winning its second Big 12 regular-season title in three years. The Huskers reached their fifth straight NCAA Regional and are ranked as high as 12th in the national polls.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations