NU Recruiting Class Ranked Nationally by Baseball America

The Nebraska baseball team’s recruiting class has been ranked in the top 35 of Baseball America’s recruiting rankings, which was released this week.

After announcing its top 25 recruiting classes last week, Baseball America released its “Next 10” list in alphabetical order this week. NU is ranked between 26th and 35th nationally, along with Arkansas, Duke, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon, Oregon State, Tennessee and Wake Forest. Nebraska is one of two Big Ten teams ranked in the top 35 recruiting classes by Baseball America, along with No. 24 Illinois.

The Huskers welcome 15 newcomers to the 2019 roster, including 11 freshmen, as the entire recruiting class made it to campus.

Two newcomers - Spencer Schwellenbach and Bo Blessie - were drafted in June 2018, but chose to come to Nebraska to play college baseball. Schwellenbach, an infielder/right-handed pitcher from Saginaw, Mich., was selected in the 34th round by the Cleveland Indians. Blessie, a right-handed pitcher from Midland, Texas, was drafted in the 36th round by the Washington Nationals.

Four newcomers - Aaron Palenksy, Trey Kissack, Ty Roseberry and Gareth Stroh – bring previous college baseball experience to NU’s roster.

Palensky is a sophomore outfielder from Papillion, Neb., who spent one season at Southeast Community College. Kissack is a junior right-handed pitcher from Grand Island, Neb., who played one season at UNC-Greensboro and one year at Southeast Community College.

Roseberry is a junior first baseman from Kearney, Neb., who transferred from Nebraska-Kearney. Stroh is a senior left-handed pitcher from Kearney (Gibbon High School), who spent two years at Purdue after spending one year at Coffeyville Community College. In 2017, he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors for the Boilermakers.

Of the 42 student-athletes on Nebraska’s roster, 27 return from last year’s squad, including Big Ten All-Freshman Team selections Jaxon Hallmark and Gunner Hellstrom. Hallmark started 50 games last season and ranked among the top five on the team in several statistical categories, including batting average (.261), hits (48) and RBIs (24). Hellstrom started 19 of his 26 appearances and hit .310, including at least one hit in 11 of his last 17 games with three multi-hit efforts.

Juniors Luke Roskam and Mojo Hagge were also among offensive team leaders in 2018, each ranking in the top four in batting average, hits, doubles and total bases. Senior infielder Angelo Altavilla, who earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2017, ranked in the top five of the 2018 team in home runs (5), runs scored (35), RBIs (28) and stolen bases (6).

Senior Matt Waldron led the 2018 pitching staff in ERA (4.26) and wins (6), while ranking second in strikeouts (61). Senior Mike Waldron became a key reliever for the Huskers last season, leading the team in appearances (21) and ranked in the top five of most statistical categories. The 2018 squad also saw double-digit outings from returners Paul Tillotson (16), Nate Fisher (15), Andrew Abrahamowicz (15), Byron Hood (14) and Ethan Frazier (13).