Keele Named Olson Award Semifinalist
May 22, 2013 | Baseball, General
OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha senior outfielder Ryan Keele has been named a semifinalist for the inaugural Gregg Olson Award presented by Toolshed Sports, it was announced Wednesday.
Forty-six players were included on the semifinalists list to honor college baseball's “Breakout Player of the Year.” The award is named after former Auburn pitcher Gregg Olson, who became one of the top collegiate players in the nation after an initial season filled with only mixed success. Olson went on to become a two-time All-American, first-round draft pick, American League Rookie of the Year and MLB All-Star. Players on the list have proven that they have elevated their game to an elite level and in many instances their team has mirrored their success as a direct result.
Keele hit .385 for Omaha in his senior season, helping the Mavericks to the 2013 Summit League regular-season title and UNO's first Division I conference championship in any sport. He led the Summit League in home runs (six), RBI (33), slugging percentage (.571) and total bases (89) and was second in batting average, hits (60) and on-base percentage (.463). Keele had 18 multi-hit performances and 11 multi-RBI efforts this season, both of which led the team.
Initial nominations were made by sports information and media contacts, and the semifinalists were determined by an independent panel. A list of finalists will be announced on Monday, June 3 in conjunction with the conclusion of NCAA Regional play. The winner of the 2013 Gregg Olson Award will be named in Omaha, Neb., during the College World Series.
GREGG OLSON AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
Gabe Aguilar – New Mexico
Eli Anderson – Northern Illinois
Scott Baker – Ball State
Trevor Belicek – Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Buddy Borden – UNLV
Garrett Boulware – Clemson
Devin Burke – Virginia Tech
Chad Carroll – James Madison
Mike Connolly – Main
Trace Dempsey – Ohio State
Christian Diaz – Miami (Fla.)
Kerry Doane – East Tennessee State
Christiaan Durdaller – Samford
Joey Falcone – Columbia
Austin Fisher – Kansas State
Mike Ford – Princeton
Chase Fowler – Southern Miss
Brent Graham – Campbell
Tyler Grogg – Toledo
Sean Hagen – Eastern Kentucky
Max Homick – San Diego
Ryan Huck – Western Kentucky
Joe Jackson – The Citadel
Ryan Keele – Omaha
Ryan LaGrange – UNC Wilmington
Bobby Lecount – New Mexico State
Trey Masek – Texas Tech
Jeff McKenzie – CSU Bakersfield
Harrison Musgrave – West Virginia
Mike Papi – Virginia
Justin Parr – Illinois
Austin Perez – Stetson
Jake Peter – Creighton
Brandon Peterson – Wichita State
Chad Prain – Georgia State
Austin Pruitt – Houston
Michael Renner – North Florida
Steve Shelinsky Jr. – Pitt
Matt Shortall – UT Arlington
Scott Sitz – Florida State
Taylor Sparks – UC Irvine
Cody Stubbs – North Carolina
Michael Suchy – Florida Gulf Coast
Mike Tauchman – Bradley
Ryan Thompson – Campbell
Ben Verlander – Old Dominion
