Ping! Baseball Names Rutledge To Freshman All-America Team
Rutledge set a Samford record with 11 saves in 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ping! Baseball has named Samford freshman left-handed pitcher Lex Rutledge to its First-Team Freshman All-America team, it was announced on Monday.
The Ping! team is the second Freshman All-America team Rutledge has been named to. He was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team last week. Rutledge was also selected to participate in the 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Trials in June.
Rutledge, a native of Tupelo, Miss., was one of just two relief pitchers named to the first team. The first team includes six total pitchers (4 starters and 2 relievers).
Rutledge had a stellar freshman season at Samford in 2010. Serving as the team's closer, Rutledge tied a Samford record with 11 saves. He also posted a record of 5-1 and an impressive 1.71 ERA in 47.1 innings of work. He also led the team in strikeouts with 65 on the season.
At the conclusion of the season, Rutledge was named second-team All-Conference in the Southern Conference, and he was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team.
Rutledge was the lone Southern Conference player on the first team. Appalachian State third baseman Hector Crespo and Furman shortstop Will Muzika were named to the third team.
ASU Baseball Notebook: Crespo Named Freshman All-American
BOONE, N.C. ? Ping!Baseball tabbed Appalachian State University third baseman Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) as a third-team freshman all-American on Monday. Crespo is the first player in Appalachian history to earn freshman all-America recognition.
The Miami, Fla. native was expected to serve mainly in a reserve role as a true freshman but went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in in ASU’s second game of the season at USC Upstate and almost never relinquished the starting position the rest of the year, getting the nod at third base in 54 of the club’s final 56 games.
Crespo hit .335 as a rookie, batting mainly out of the leadoff spot for the Mountaineers. He led all NCAA Division I freshman with 31 stolen bases, a figure that ranked second in the Southern Conference and 27th nationally overall and was good for second in Appalachian single-season history, just three shy of the school record of 34 swiped by future major-leaguer Mike Ramsey in 1974.
Crespo also displayed a one of the SoCon’s top gloves at third base, making several highlight-reel defensive plays throughout the season despite coming into his collegiate career touted mainly as a middle infielder.
In addition to the freshman all-America accolades, Crespo was also a member of the SoCon’s all-freshman and all-tournament teams.
Ping!Baseball Freshman All-Americans
1st RP Lex Rutledge, Samford
3rd 2B Will Muzika, Furman
3rd 3B Hector Crespo, Appalachian State