Quackenbush earns All-America honor

Posted Jun 15, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jun 15, 2011 at 12:46 PM

Kevin Quackenbush’s big final season with the USF baseball team has led to some big recognition.

On Wednesday, Quackenbush was named to the 16th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America team, earning a spot on the second team. He the first USF player to earn an All-America honor since Ross Gload in 1997.

Quackenbush thrived as USF’s closer in 2011, finishing with 12 saves and a 0.81 ERA, the lowest for the reliever in program history. He struck out 45 hitters while walking just seven and yielding only 14 hits in 33 1/3 innings pitched. He picked up his lone win of the season in USF’s final game against Pittsburgh.

The fact that he earned second team All-America honors could come as a bit of a suprise considering Quackenbush was a second team All-Big East selection, though all four pitchers selected to the conference’s first team were starters.

Quackenbush, an eighth round draft pick by the San Diego Padres who recently agreed to terms with the big-league club, was one of four Big East players to earn NCBWA All-America honors, joining the Connecticut trio of outfielder George Springer, starting pitcher Matt Barnes and reliever Kevin Vance. Springer, the Big East’s player of the year, and Barnes, the conference’s pitcher of the year, were first-team selections, while Vance joined Quackenbush on the second team.

You can view the full release HERE.