University of Minnesota Athletics
Three Minnesota Players Named to Big Ten All-Conference Teams
5/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team (20-35, 10-21) had three players named All-Big Ten according to an announcement by the Big Ten Conference office on Tuesday, May 20. Junior outfielder Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) and junior third baseman Nate Hanson (Chanhassen, Minn.) were each named First-Team All-Big Ten, while senior catcher Jeff DeSmidt (Mahtomedi, Minn.) was named Second-Team All-Big Ten.
With the selections of Nohetly and Hanson to the first-team, Minnesota tied for the third-most selections to the first-team with Purdue. Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan had the most first-team selections with five, while Indiana was second with three.
Hanson claimed First-Team All-Big Ten honors at third base for a second straight year. He is the first third baseman to do so in the Big Ten since 2002-03 when Vasili Spanos claimed the honors in back-to-back seasons. Hanson also joins Terry Steinbach (1981-83) and Jack McCartan (1956-58) as the only Golden Gopher third baseman to claim First-Team All-Big Ten honors on multiple occasions.
On the season, Hanson batted .359 with 47 runs, six homers, 32 RBI and 22 doubles. He led the team in doubles, was second in home runs, second in hits and was second in slugging percentage. In Big Ten play, Hanson batted .381 with 25 runs, four home runs, 26 RBI and 10 doubles. He is currently tied for the lead in the Big Ten doubles, is tied for third in total bases and was tied for seventh in hits. In conference play, Hanson finished tied for third in doubles, was tied for eighth in total bases and was seventh in hits.
His 45 hits in Big Ten play tied for the second-most in school history. Hanson’s 22 doubles were also eighth on the Golden Gophers’ single-season list.
Nohelty claimed First-Team All-Big Ten honors for a second straight year as well, and has received All-Big Ten honors in all three years he has played with the program (Third-Team in 2006). Nohelty is the first outfielder in the conference to claim back-to-back First-Team All-Big Ten honors since Sam Steidl did it in 2003-04. Nohelty and Steidl are two of only five Golden Gopher outfielders to receiver First-Team honors on multiple occasions, joining Tom Hall (1978-79), Tom Steinbach (1981-83) and Ryan Lefebvre (1991, 93). Only Steidl, Steinbach and Hall did it in back-to-back years.
Throughout the season, Nohelty flirted with .400 as he was at the elusive mark as late as May 3rd. He batted .397 with 53 runs, 39 RBI, 24 stolen bases and 94 hits. In Big Ten play, he batted .398 with 29 runs, 20 RBI, 51 hits and 14 stolen bases. Nohelty leads the Big Ten in hits at 94, is fifth in batting average at .397, seventh in runs scored at 53, tied for eighth in total bases (112), tied for fifth in triples (4) and tied for fifth in stolen bases (24). In conference play, he was tied for second in hits (51), was eighth in batting average (.398), 10th in runs scored (29) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (14).
Nohelty is currently fourth on the Minnesota career batting average list at .377, fourth on the stolen base list at 66, third in career Big Ten batting average at .395, second in career Big Ten stolen bases (33), sixth in career Big Ten hits at 123 and fifth in career on-base percentage at .456. He also set a new single-season Minnesota record in conference hits at 51, had the fourth-highest overall hit total in school history at 94, tied for the ninth-best single-season stolen bases total at 24 and has the second-highest conference stolen bases total with 14. His .397 batting average was also the highest by a Minnesota player since 2001.
DeSmidt claimed Second-Team All-Big Ten honors for the Golden Gophers, marking the first time in his career at Minnesota that he was named to an all-conference team. DeSmidt was the first Golden Gopher catcher to claim All-Big Ten honors since Jake Elder collected second-team honors in 2004.
He batted .371 with nine home runs, 50 RBI, a .587 slugging percentage, a .446 on-base percentage and 26 runs. In Big Ten play, DeSmidt batted .379 with five home runs, 31 RBI, a .563 slugging percentage, a .440 on-base percentage and 18 runs. DeSmidt is tied for seventh in the Big Ten in home runs, is seventh in RBI and sixth in slugging percentage. In conference play, DeSmidt was tied for eighth in RBI.
DeSmidt’s nine home runs and 50 RBI this year were the most by a Golden Gopher catcher since Shane Gunderson had 13 home runs and 65 RBI, and was named a First-Team All-American. DeSmidt also led the team in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. He had a home run in every 18.5 at-bats this year with nine in 167 at-bats.
Michigan claimed three of the four major honors, as Nate Recknagel was named Player of the Year, Zach Putnam was named Pitcher of the Year and Rich Maloney was named Coach of the Year. Northwestern pitcher Eric Jokisch received Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
With the selections of Nohetly and Hanson to the first-team, Minnesota tied for the third-most selections to the first-team with Purdue. Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan had the most first-team selections with five, while Indiana was second with three.
Hanson claimed First-Team All-Big Ten honors at third base for a second straight year. He is the first third baseman to do so in the Big Ten since 2002-03 when Vasili Spanos claimed the honors in back-to-back seasons. Hanson also joins Terry Steinbach (1981-83) and Jack McCartan (1956-58) as the only Golden Gopher third baseman to claim First-Team All-Big Ten honors on multiple occasions.
On the season, Hanson batted .359 with 47 runs, six homers, 32 RBI and 22 doubles. He led the team in doubles, was second in home runs, second in hits and was second in slugging percentage. In Big Ten play, Hanson batted .381 with 25 runs, four home runs, 26 RBI and 10 doubles. He is currently tied for the lead in the Big Ten doubles, is tied for third in total bases and was tied for seventh in hits. In conference play, Hanson finished tied for third in doubles, was tied for eighth in total bases and was seventh in hits.
His 45 hits in Big Ten play tied for the second-most in school history. Hanson’s 22 doubles were also eighth on the Golden Gophers’ single-season list.
Nohelty claimed First-Team All-Big Ten honors for a second straight year as well, and has received All-Big Ten honors in all three years he has played with the program (Third-Team in 2006). Nohelty is the first outfielder in the conference to claim back-to-back First-Team All-Big Ten honors since Sam Steidl did it in 2003-04. Nohelty and Steidl are two of only five Golden Gopher outfielders to receiver First-Team honors on multiple occasions, joining Tom Hall (1978-79), Tom Steinbach (1981-83) and Ryan Lefebvre (1991, 93). Only Steidl, Steinbach and Hall did it in back-to-back years.
Throughout the season, Nohelty flirted with .400 as he was at the elusive mark as late as May 3rd. He batted .397 with 53 runs, 39 RBI, 24 stolen bases and 94 hits. In Big Ten play, he batted .398 with 29 runs, 20 RBI, 51 hits and 14 stolen bases. Nohelty leads the Big Ten in hits at 94, is fifth in batting average at .397, seventh in runs scored at 53, tied for eighth in total bases (112), tied for fifth in triples (4) and tied for fifth in stolen bases (24). In conference play, he was tied for second in hits (51), was eighth in batting average (.398), 10th in runs scored (29) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (14).
Nohelty is currently fourth on the Minnesota career batting average list at .377, fourth on the stolen base list at 66, third in career Big Ten batting average at .395, second in career Big Ten stolen bases (33), sixth in career Big Ten hits at 123 and fifth in career on-base percentage at .456. He also set a new single-season Minnesota record in conference hits at 51, had the fourth-highest overall hit total in school history at 94, tied for the ninth-best single-season stolen bases total at 24 and has the second-highest conference stolen bases total with 14. His .397 batting average was also the highest by a Minnesota player since 2001.
DeSmidt claimed Second-Team All-Big Ten honors for the Golden Gophers, marking the first time in his career at Minnesota that he was named to an all-conference team. DeSmidt was the first Golden Gopher catcher to claim All-Big Ten honors since Jake Elder collected second-team honors in 2004.
He batted .371 with nine home runs, 50 RBI, a .587 slugging percentage, a .446 on-base percentage and 26 runs. In Big Ten play, DeSmidt batted .379 with five home runs, 31 RBI, a .563 slugging percentage, a .440 on-base percentage and 18 runs. DeSmidt is tied for seventh in the Big Ten in home runs, is seventh in RBI and sixth in slugging percentage. In conference play, DeSmidt was tied for eighth in RBI.
DeSmidt’s nine home runs and 50 RBI this year were the most by a Golden Gopher catcher since Shane Gunderson had 13 home runs and 65 RBI, and was named a First-Team All-American. DeSmidt also led the team in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. He had a home run in every 18.5 at-bats this year with nine in 167 at-bats.
Michigan claimed three of the four major honors, as Nate Recknagel was named Player of the Year, Zach Putnam was named Pitcher of the Year and Rich Maloney was named Coach of the Year. Northwestern pitcher Eric Jokisch received Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
Players Mentioned
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