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Ike Mezzenga and Connor Wietgrefe Named CSC Academic All-District
6/7/2024 10:49:00 AM | Baseball
The juniors made big impacts both on and off the field in 2024
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota baseball had two players named to the 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Baseball Team, it was announced this week. Redshirt junior utility player Ike Mezzenga and junior left-hander Connor Wietgrefe both earned academic all-district honors. Wietgrefe is also in the voting to earn Academic All-America accolades.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Baseball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced July 2, 2024.
Connor Wietgrefe dominated on the mound in 2024 for the Gophers. The southpaw had a 7-4 record in 13 starts. His eight wins tied for first and his 2.77 ERA ranked second among Big Ten pitchers. Wietgrefe ranked in the top ten in the conference in strikeouts (74 - sixth), innings (78.0 - eighth), earned runs (25 - fourth) and runs (35 - ninth). Named the Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year by the team, Wietgrefe also stood out in advanced metrics. He was second among Big Ten hurlers in fielding independent pitching (FIP) at 2.88 and third in wins above replacement (WAR) at 1.53.
A Prior Lake, Minn. native, Wietgrefe was one of nine players in the conference to pitch a complete game this season. In 78.0 innings, he allowed just 12 extra-base hits, only one of which was a home run that did not leave the ballpark. The Gophers won 10 of the 15 games he appeared in, including winning six of his eight Big Ten starts. Wietgrefe was the first Gopher since Eli Wilson in 2019 to be named First Team All-Big Ten.
Ike Mezzenga had his best season yet in the Maroon and Gold. He started 46 of the 47 games he played, slashing .284/.376/.519. The Shoreview, Minn., native slugged a team-high 12 home runs and added seven doubles while tallying 33 RBI. He also posted 37 runs scored with 26 walks. Mezzenga recorded a 25-game on-base streak to start the season, the longest of any Gopher in 2024.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Baseball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced July 2, 2024.
Connor Wietgrefe dominated on the mound in 2024 for the Gophers. The southpaw had a 7-4 record in 13 starts. His eight wins tied for first and his 2.77 ERA ranked second among Big Ten pitchers. Wietgrefe ranked in the top ten in the conference in strikeouts (74 - sixth), innings (78.0 - eighth), earned runs (25 - fourth) and runs (35 - ninth). Named the Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year by the team, Wietgrefe also stood out in advanced metrics. He was second among Big Ten hurlers in fielding independent pitching (FIP) at 2.88 and third in wins above replacement (WAR) at 1.53.
A Prior Lake, Minn. native, Wietgrefe was one of nine players in the conference to pitch a complete game this season. In 78.0 innings, he allowed just 12 extra-base hits, only one of which was a home run that did not leave the ballpark. The Gophers won 10 of the 15 games he appeared in, including winning six of his eight Big Ten starts. Wietgrefe was the first Gopher since Eli Wilson in 2019 to be named First Team All-Big Ten.
Ike Mezzenga had his best season yet in the Maroon and Gold. He started 46 of the 47 games he played, slashing .284/.376/.519. The Shoreview, Minn., native slugged a team-high 12 home runs and added seven doubles while tallying 33 RBI. He also posted 37 runs scored with 26 walks. Mezzenga recorded a 25-game on-base streak to start the season, the longest of any Gopher in 2024.
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