Pat Kelly

Following a three-year career in professional baseball, former two-time first-team All-Big Ten second baseman Pat Kelly returned to Nebraska as an undergraduate assistant coach. While helping the Huskers on the field, he is working on finishing his degree.

Following a stellar three-year career for the Huskers on the diamond, Kelly was taken in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. A native of Red Wing, Minn., Kelly played in the Twins' organization for two years before he returned to Lincoln and played for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association in 2016.

As a junior in 2014, Kelly led the Huskers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Kelly led NU in hits for the second straight season with 76 in 2014 and ended his career ranked 20th in school history with 212 career hits. Also a plus defender, Kelly committed just three errors as a junior and left Nebraska ranked seventh in school history with 468 assists.

In his final game at Hawks Field as a Husker, Kelly capped a 3-for-5 day with a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th against Illinois, was his 20th multi-hit game of the year.

During his sophomore season in 2013, led the team in hits with 85 and tied former first-team All-American John Cole (2001) for sixth in the single-season record book with 70 singles on the year. At the time Kelly was just one of six players in program history to produce 70 of more singles in a single season, as school-record holder Francis Collins (86 in 1997; 79 in 1996) achieved the feat twice.

Kelly put together one of the best freshman seasons by a Huskers in 2012, as he was named a freshman All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. Kelly hit .313 in 41 starts and posted a team-high .521 slugging percentage with 16 extra-base hits, including eight home runs. It was the most home runs by a Husker freshman since 2000, when Matt Hopper hit 21 at Buck Beltzer Stadium. A clutch performer throughout his career, Kelly hit .367 with runners on bases, including a .364 average with runners in scoring position, as a freshman. He started the season at shortstop before moving to second base, and was the first freshman to start a season opener at shortstop since 2008 when Ben Kline started at Stanford.