The 2023 Baseball All-Big Ten has been announced. The conference has also just begun its tournament. There are seven teams represented from the conference out of the 13 teams. 14 players across the Big Ten have been honored with making the first team. Here is a look at the Baseball All-Big Ten for the 2023 season, organized by the school.
Baseball All-Big Ten
Maryland:
To no surprise, Maryland is one of the two universities with the most players on the All-Big Ten first team. Maryland is the number one seed and had a strong season. Here is a look at the three players from Maryland to make the first team.
Luke Shliger – Catcher
Catcher, Luke Shliger is ranked the number one catcher in college baseball, according to the Maryland Athletics’ website. He made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021, and the 2022 All-Big Ten Second Team. This season, Shliger has had 957 putouts and 25 assists. Shliger is deserving of making the team for the 2023 season.
Matt Shaw – Shortstop
This is the second year in a row that Shortstop, Matt Shaw is making the baseball All-Big Ten first team. This season he has had 88 putouts and 172 assists, according to Maryland Athletics. He also hit 23 home runs this year. With Shaw playing and starting in 55 games this season, he is deserving to make the first team for the second year in a row.
Nick Lorusso – Third Base
Third baseman, Nick Lorusso is the second player from Maryland to make the first team two years in a row. Lorusso has had 21 putouts this season as well as 93 assists, according to Maryland Athletics. He also has had 21 home runs. Maryland has had a great year, and Lorusso is a big reason why.
Michigan State:
Only one player from Michigan State is on the baseball All-Big Ten first team.
Brock Vradenburg – First Base
First baseman, Brock Vradenburg not only made the first team, he is also one of the two unanimous selections. Vradenburg has had 384 putouts this season and 25 assists, according to Michigan State University Athletics. He also hit 13 home runs this year. With 384 putouts, it makes sense why he has made the 2023 first team.
Nebraska:
Nebraska had two players make the 2023 first team. One of the two players is a unanimous selection.
Max Anderson – Second Base
Second baseman, Max Anderson is the second player on the baseball All-Big Ten first team to also be a unanimous selection. This season, Anderson has had 91 putouts and 118 assists, according to Nebraska Athletics. The 118 assists are a big reason that he made the first team in 2023.
Brice Matthews – Infielder
Brice Matthews is the second player from Nebraska to make the first team All-Big Ten in 2023. Matthews played in 50 games this year and had 66 putouts and 105 assists. He also had 61 runs, according to Nebraska Athletics. Matthews is a junior but had a strong season for Nebraska.
Indiana:
Indiana has two players who made the 2023 All-Big Ten first team.
Devin Taylor – Outfielder
Outfielder, Devin Taylor is just a freshman, yet is now a first team All-Big Ten player. He has had 55 putouts and three assists, according to Indiana Athletics. He also had 58 runs and 16 home runs this year. Taylor is only a freshman, and will only get better from here.
Ryan Kraft – Relief Pitcher
Relief pitcher, Ryan Kraft is young as well. He is just a sophomore but did make the first team. Kraft had zero errors in 2023 with a 100% fielding percentage according to Indiana Athletics. It is no wonder that he made the first team.
Rutgers:
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had two players make the 2023 All-Big Ten first team.
Ryan Lasko – Outfielder
Outfielder, Ryan Lasko had a big season for Rutgers. He had 134 putouts and four assists, according to Rutgers Athletics. He also had 58 runs and 52 RBIs. With the season that Lasko had, it is understandable that he made the first team in 2023.
Christian Coppola – Starting Pitcher
Starting pitcher, Christian Coppola is only a freshman, but had a strong season. He started in just 12 games. His fielding percentage was 90% with just one error, according to Rutgers Athletics. Coppola also had six putouts and three assists.
Iowa:
Iowa has three players on the baseball All-Big Ten first team.
Sam Petersen – Outfielder
Sophomore outfielder, Sam Petersen had a good season for Iowa. Petersen played in 43 games and had 51 putouts and one error, according to Iowa Athletics. His fielding percentage was 0.981. With how he played this season, it makes sense why he has made the first team this year.
Brody Brecht – Starting Pitcher
Sophomore starting pitcher, Brody Brecht has a strong 2023 season. Brecht started in 14 games this season. He made just one error with a fielding percentage of 0.917, according to Iowa Athletics. With how well he did, he earned the first team for 2023.
Keaton Anthony: Designated Hitter
Sophomore Keaton Anthony is the third member of the Iowa Hawkeyes to make the 2023 All-Big Ten first team. Anthony played in 43 games this season had had 51 runs, according to Iowa Athletics. He also had 38 RBIs.
Michigan:
Michigan had just one player make the 2023 All-Big Ten first team for college baseball.
Connor O’Halloran – Starting Pitcher
Junior, Connor O’Halloran made the first team in 2023 as a starting pitcher. O’Halloran struck out nine batters against Northwestern in 7.2 innings, according to Michigan Athletics. His fielding percentage was 0.846 with two errors and one putout. He also had ten assists.
Baseball All-Big Ten 2023 Standout
The biggest standout of the 2023 All-Big Ten first team is how young the players are. Many of them are sophomores and juniors. There were even a couple of freshmen. The Big Ten has a bright future ahead with these players.