MSU Pitcher Matt Lea Earns Freshman All-American Team Honors
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
Lea compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.01 earned run average, drawing starts in all seven of his games played as a true freshman. He earned wins in each of his first five starts and finished the year with six quality starts before his rookie season was curtailed by a bout with tendonitis. Lea struck out 26 in 40-1/3 innings and held opponents to a staff-low .206 batting average.
This year's freshman all-American team is headed by "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper's Freshman Pitcher of The Year, Alex Wilson of Winthrop and Freshman Player of The Year Pedro Alvarez, a third baseman at Vanderbilt. Eighty-five players, including 11 from the Southeastern Conference, were included on this year's freshman all-American baseball team.
Lea becomes the 27th Mississippi State player to earn freshman all-America team honors since 1983 and the second player from MSU's 2006 team to earn national honors. Last week senior shortstop Thomas Berkery, the 2006 SEC regular season batting champ, was named by Collegiate Baseball to the second-team Louisville Slugger All-American team. The Sarasota, Fla., native, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, leads the SEC with a .383 batting average.
