McKay Adds D1Baseball Player of the Year Honor
June 15, 2017 | Baseball
Ellis earns First Team All-America honor; Henzman tabbed as a third team selection
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville junior Brendan McKay added his fourth National Player of the Year honor on Thursday as D1Baseball honored the lefthander and first baseman. Joining McKay as D1Baseball honorees was junior infielder Drew Ellis, a First Team All-American selection, and junior righthanded pitcher Lincoln Henzman, a Third Team All-American.
The D1Baseball honor for McKay is added to his national player of the year awards from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Perfect Game. The Darlington, Pennsylvania also earned his third straight John Olerud Two-Way National Player of the Year Award and became the highest MLB Draft selection in school history going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays.
McKay has a 10-3 record with a 2.34 ERA and a school record 140 strikeouts in 104.0 innings on the mound this season. During his three-year collegiate career, McKay has accumulated a 31-10 record with a 2.15 ERA and 385 strikeouts, the most ever for a Louisville pitcher. At the plate, the 2017 ACC Player of the Year has a .343 batting average, 17 home runs, 13 doubles, 56 RBIs and a .464 on-base percentage in 60 starts as a hitter this season. In 179 career starts and 186 total appearances as a hitter, McKay has a .328 career batting average with 27 home runs, 46 doubles and 131 RBIs.
Ellis leads the Cardinals with a .367 batting average, 20 home runs, 18 doubles, 61 RBI and .729 slugging percentage. The Jeffersonville, Indiana native has started all 62 games this season splitting his time between first base and third base. Ellis was an All-ACC First Team selection and was chosen as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. He was also selected as the National Player of the Month in April by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after hitting .455 (30-for-66) in 19 games with five doubles, one triple and eight homers, 22 RBI and a .532 on-base percentage.
A finalist for the Stopper of the Year award, Henzman ranks second in the nation with 16 saves to go with his 3-0 record, 1.77 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched and 25 total relief appearances. Thirteen of the Lexington, Kentucky native's 16 saves came against ACC foes, while opposing hitters are batting just .164 against him this season. The 16 saves for Henzman rank as the third most in a season by a Louisville player, while his 19 career saves are also third all-time.
The No. 7 national seed Cardinals (52-10) will continue their season at the 2017 College World Series against Texas A&M on Sunday at 2 p.m., ET at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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