Six Players Earn All-Big 12 Honors

Dallas ? Six University of Nebraska baseball players were honored Monday, as the Big 12 announced its all-conference teams and league awards.

Sophomore Alex Gordon was the most honored Husker, as he was chosen as the Big 12’s Player of the Year, as well as the top third baseman in the league. Gordon, who was chosen as a first-team All-American by Sports Weekly on Sunday, batted .365 with 18 homers and 75 RBIs. He led the conference in on-base percentage (.493), slugging percentage (.754), walks (47), triples (five) and runs scored (64), while ranking in the top-10 in homers (18, second), total bases (159, second), RBIs (75, third) and doubles (18, ninth). Gordon started all 59 games and played in 520 of 524 innings in the field, including every inning during league play.

"It’s a good feeling, and was something I was not expecting," Gordon said. "There were a number of players who could have been chosen, and it is truly a great honor."

Gordon, a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder from Lincoln, becomes the Huskers’ third straight Big 12 Player of the Year, following in the footsteps of Jed Morris (2002) and Matt Hopper (2003). A Howser Award semifinalist and a member of the Golden Spikes Watch List, Gordon will travel to Durham, N.C., next month to compete for a spot on the USA Baseball National Team. Gordon is also the first Husker third baseman to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors since Derek Dukart in 1994.

Three Huskers were chosen for the second team, sophomore Zach Kroenke and seniors Jake Mullinax and Justin Pekarek. Kroenke was the ace of the Husker staff, going 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 15 starts. The left-hander from Omaha ranked among the league leaders in ERA (sixth), innings pitched (104, eighth), complete games (2, fifth) and opponent batting average (.238, eighth).

Mullinax was second on the team with a .313 average while belting eight homers and driving in 34 runs. The senior second baseman also played a major role in the Huskers’ school-record .975 fielding percentage, committing just six errors in 241 total chances.

Pekarek led the Huskers in wins (eight) and strikeouts (75), going 8-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 18 appearances. The left-hander from Staplehurst, Neb., earned four wins over ranked opponents, including two over No. 1 Texas, and set a school record with 33.1 consecutive shutout innings.

Shortstop Joe Simokaitis and first baseman Curtis Ledbetter rounded out the Huskers’ all-conference honorees as honorable-mention selections. Simokaitis, a three-year starter at shortstop, hit .279 with one homer and 33 RBIs, while committing only 10 errors in 252 chances. Ledbetter hit .297 and was second on the team in both homers (eight) and RBIs (56), while leading the Huskers with 11 game-winning RBIs. In the field, Ledbetter committed one error in 473 chances for a .998 fielding percentage.

All-Big 12 Team (selected by league coaches)
First Team
1B-Josh Brady, Texas Tech
2B-Russell Raley, Oklahoma
SS-Cameron Blair, Texas Tech
3B-Alex Gordon, Nebraska
C-Jason Jaramillo, Oklahoma State
OF-Cory Patton, Texas A&M; Michael Mask, Texas Tech; Matt Baty, Kansas; Carson Kainer, Texas
DH-Lee Laskowski, Missouri
UT-Curtis Thigpen, Texas
Starting Pitchers-J.P. Howell, Texas; Jason Meyer, Texas A&M; Garrett Broshuis, Missouri; Zach Jackson, Texas A&M
Relief Pitchers- (tie in voting) Huston Street, Texas; Jarod McAuliff, Oklahoma; J. Brent Cox, Texas

Special Honors
Player of the Year-3B Alex Gordon, Nebraska
Pitcher of the Year-J.P. Howell, Texas
Coach of the Year-Augie Garrido, Texas
Newcomer of the Year-1B Ole Sheldon, Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year-OF Drew Stubbs, Texas
Freshman Pitcher of the Year-Jason Meyer, Texas A&M

Second Team (Ties in voting)
1B-Ole Sheldon, Oklahoma
2B-Jake Mullinax, Nebraska
SS-Ritchie Price, Kansas; Chris Gutierrez, Oklahoma State; Robby Hudson, Texas
3B-Josh Haney, Texas Tech
C-Sean Richardson, Kansas; Craig Stinson, Texas A&M
OF-Reid Brees, Baylor; Steve Murphy, Kansas State; Ryan Rallo, Missouri; Scott Kirby, Oklahoma State; Drew Stubbs, Texas
DH-Eric Thornton, Oklahoma
UT-Cliff Pennington, Texas A&M
Starting Pitchers-Spencer Grogan, Oklahoma State; Mark Roberts, Oklahoma; Zach Kroenke, Nebraska; David Purcey, Oklahoma
Relief Pitchers-Justin Pekarek, Nebraska, Corey Gerstner, Texas Tech

Honorable Mention
1B Ryan Baty, Kansas; 1B Cody Ehlers, Missouri; 1B Curtis Ledbetter, Nebraska; 1B Coby Mavroulis, Texas A&M; 2B Erik Schindewolf, Texas A&M; 3B Travis Metcalf, Kansas; 3B Josh Fields, Oklahoma State; DH Josh Ford, Baylor; SP Trey Taylor, Baylor; SP Danny Hill, Missouri; SP Dallas Braden, Texas Tech; RP Abe Woody, Baylor;  Mark Alexander, Missouri; OF Ty Wright, Oklahoma State; 2B Paul Witt, Baylor; 2B Seth Johnston, Texas; 3B Michael Griffin, Baylor; 3B Austin Boggs, Texas A&M; SS Joe Simokaitis, Nebraska; SS Ryan Rohlinger, Oklahoma; C Taylor Teagarden, Texas; OF Matt Tribble, Kansas; OF James Boone, Missouri; OF Hunter Harris, Texas; DH Ryan Russ, Texas; SP Ryan Knippschild, Kansas; SP Mike Zagurski, Kansas; SP Sam LeCure, Texas; SP Justin Simmons, Texas; RP Mark Alexander, Missouri; RP Daniel McCutchen, Oklahoma; RP Scott Richmond, Oklahoma State; RP Buck Cody, Texas; SP Kyle McCulloch, Texas; SP Nathan Culp, Missouri