Oregon Duo Named to Freshmen All-America Team

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Freshmen A.J. Balta and Matt Krook have been named to the 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-America Team, released by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Wednesday. Photo Courtesy: goducks.com

(EUGENE, Ore. ) - Freshmen A.J. Balta and Matt Krook have been named to the 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-America Team, released by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Wednesday.

Balta (Manhattan Beach, Calif. / Valencia High School) was one of four first basemen named to the team. He finished the season batting .242 with three home runs and 29 RBI with seven stolen bases. He started 56 or Oregon’s 64 games and had 15 multi-hit games. Balta earned all-tournament team honors at the Nashville Regional Tournament last weekend after batting a team-best .333 (5-for-15) with two triples, a .412 on-base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage.

Krook (San Mateo, Calif. / St. Ignatius HS) was one of 27 starting pitchers named freshmen All-American, despite missing the season’s last two months after having elbow surgery. The Ducks’ lefty finished the season with a 2-1 record and a 1.79 ERA while leading the Pac-12 in strikeouts and strikeouts looking before being injured. Krook finished his freshman season with 60 strikeouts in just 45.1 innings pitched, while allowing just 22 hits.

Krook and Balta are the fifth and sixth Ducks’ players to earn freshmen All-America recognition. Jake Reed was named a freshman All-American in 2012, while Garrett Cleavinger, Cole Irvin and Mitchell Tolman all claimed the honor in 2013.

Source: goducks.com