Perfect Game Honors McKay as Freshman of the Year
June 30, 2015 | Baseball
Brendan McKay pitching for the USA Collegiate National Team earlier this month.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A new day and new honors for Louisville lefthanded pitcher and first baseman Brendan McKay, who was named national Freshman of the Year and First Team All-America by Perfect Game.
The awards and accolades for McKay have continued well beyond the completion of the 2015 season with Perfect Game adding to that total this week. McKay, named as the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year on Monday by the College Baseball Hall of Fame, has also received national Freshman of the Year recognition from Baseball America, D1Baseball and Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
In his first collegiate season, McKay had a 9-3 record with a 1.77 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 96.2 innings and 20 appearances on the mound, including 13 straight weekend starts for the Cardinals in 2015. Occupying the fourth spot in Louisville's lineup for the final 32 games of the season, McKay hit .308 with four home runs, 34 RBI, 38 walks and 32 runs scored in 58 starts as a hitter.
McKay was previously named First Team All-America by Baseball America, D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and was selected as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the NCBWA. In addition to those honors, the 6-2, 203-pounder was chosen as the ACC Freshman of the Year, tabbed as an All-ACC First Team selection as a pitcher and was a Second Team honoree as a utility player by the conference's head coaches last month.
McKay is the first player in head coach Dan McDonnell's nine seasons in Louisville to start on the mound and play virtually every day as a position player. Twice this season he had 12 strikeouts in a single game on the mound, while at the plate, he had 15 multiple hit games highlighted by his 4-for-4 performance with a home run against North Carolina at the ACC Championship.
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