Jonathan Holder Named To Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team
The former Gulfport (Miss.) High School standout compiled a 2-1 record with nine saves and a staff-leading 0.32 earned run average. Named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, Holder earned a berth on the SEC All-Tournament team, registering three saves and a win during MSU's successful run to its seventh conference tournament title. In 28.1 innings Holder struck out 30 and walked five, holding opposing hitters to a .173 batting average. He shared with senior Caleb Reed the team lead for saves with nine successful game-closing appearances, tying for the seventh-most saves in a season at State and the second-most by a Mississippi State freshman.
In one late-season 10-appearance stretch Holder registered eight saves and a win. He established a new record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 27.1 shutout innings. Bettering the previous standard (26.1 innings pitched) set in 1988 by another Gulf Coast area standout, Long Beach's Bobby Reed.
Two of Holder's 2012 MSU teammates, pitcher Nick Routt (2009) and outfielder C.T. Bradford (2011) are among 32 other Mississippi State baseball players that have previously received rookie season all-America honors.