TEMPE, Ariz. – Spencer Torkelson continued to add to his impressive trophy case, as he was named Perfect Game's National Freshman of the Year in addition to being named to two more All-America teams and another Freshman All-America squad as well.
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America named Torkelson as a third-team All-America selection and he earned third-team recognition from Perfect Game as well. With the two selections, Torkelson became a unanimous All-American as every major baseball media outlet in the nation rewarded the freshman with at least one All-America accolade (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, NCBWA, and Perfect Game).
Perfect Game also tabbed Torkelson as the National Freshman of the Year and placed him on the outlet's Freshman All-America First Team as well. It was Torkelson's third National Freshman honor as he was named by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as the National Co-Freshman of the Year and the NCBWA as the National Freshman Hitter of the Year.
Torkelson was just the seventh Sun Devil in school history to be named an All-American as a freshman. He joins Mike Kelly (1989) and Casey Myers (1998) as the only two ASU position players to be named All-Americans as freshman. Pitchers Kendall Carter (1981), Phil Lowery (1996), Mike Leake (2007) and Ryan Kellogg (2013) are the only other freshmen in program history to be named All-Americans.
He is the third Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, joining Ike Davis (2006) and Jason Kipnis (2008).
The freshman took the nation by storm, leading the country during the regular season with 25 home runs – two more than any other player and just one shy of the NCAA freshman record. Torkelson is just the sixth player to reach 25 home runs since the BBCOR batting technology changes took effect in 2011 and the only freshman in the NCAA to reach the milestone in that time.
Against Washington State, he surpassed the previous Sun Devil freshman record of 11 home runs set by Barry Bonds in 1983. Torkelson finished tied with Bob Horner (1978) for second in ASU single-season history, just two shy of Mitch Jones' school record 27 in 2000.
Torkelson slugged .743 on the season (25 homers, 12 doubles), the third-highest total for any freshman in the NCAA in the past two decades and the highest for a freshman in the BBCOR era (since 2011). Only Rickie Weeks (.849 in 2001) and Jeremy Baltz (.771, 2010) have posted higher freshman slugging percentages in the past 20 years.
In Pac-12 games only, Torkelson led the conference in slugging (.754), runs (38), total bases (86) and home runs (14). No other player in the league led the conference in more than two categories – compared to four for Torkelson.
Torkelson scored 59 runs on the season, third-most in ASU freshman history while his 53 total RBI were fifth among all freshmen in Sun Devil lore. Torkelson's 66 hits are ninth in ASU freshman history as well.
Spencer Torkelson 2018 Trophy Case
All-America Teams
Collegiate Baseball News (2nd Team)
Baseball America (2nd Team)
National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (3rd Team)
Perfect Game (3rd Team)
National Honors
National Co-Freshman of the Year – Collegiate Baseball News
National Freshman Hitter of the Year – NCWBA
National Freshman of the Year – Perfect Game
Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist
Freshman All-America Teams
Collegiate Baseball News
NCWBA
Perfect Game
Pac-12 Awards
Freshman of the Year
All-Conference First Team Selection
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America named Torkelson as a third-team All-America selection and he earned third-team recognition from Perfect Game as well. With the two selections, Torkelson became a unanimous All-American as every major baseball media outlet in the nation rewarded the freshman with at least one All-America accolade (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, NCBWA, and Perfect Game).
Perfect Game also tabbed Torkelson as the National Freshman of the Year and placed him on the outlet's Freshman All-America First Team as well. It was Torkelson's third National Freshman honor as he was named by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as the National Co-Freshman of the Year and the NCBWA as the National Freshman Hitter of the Year.
Torkelson was just the seventh Sun Devil in school history to be named an All-American as a freshman. He joins Mike Kelly (1989) and Casey Myers (1998) as the only two ASU position players to be named All-Americans as freshman. Pitchers Kendall Carter (1981), Phil Lowery (1996), Mike Leake (2007) and Ryan Kellogg (2013) are the only other freshmen in program history to be named All-Americans.
He is the third Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, joining Ike Davis (2006) and Jason Kipnis (2008).
The freshman took the nation by storm, leading the country during the regular season with 25 home runs – two more than any other player and just one shy of the NCAA freshman record. Torkelson is just the sixth player to reach 25 home runs since the BBCOR batting technology changes took effect in 2011 and the only freshman in the NCAA to reach the milestone in that time.
Against Washington State, he surpassed the previous Sun Devil freshman record of 11 home runs set by Barry Bonds in 1983. Torkelson finished tied with Bob Horner (1978) for second in ASU single-season history, just two shy of Mitch Jones' school record 27 in 2000.
Torkelson slugged .743 on the season (25 homers, 12 doubles), the third-highest total for any freshman in the NCAA in the past two decades and the highest for a freshman in the BBCOR era (since 2011). Only Rickie Weeks (.849 in 2001) and Jeremy Baltz (.771, 2010) have posted higher freshman slugging percentages in the past 20 years.
In Pac-12 games only, Torkelson led the conference in slugging (.754), runs (38), total bases (86) and home runs (14). No other player in the league led the conference in more than two categories – compared to four for Torkelson.
Torkelson scored 59 runs on the season, third-most in ASU freshman history while his 53 total RBI were fifth among all freshmen in Sun Devil lore. Torkelson's 66 hits are ninth in ASU freshman history as well.
Spencer Torkelson 2018 Trophy Case
All-America Teams
Collegiate Baseball News (2nd Team)
Baseball America (2nd Team)
National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (3rd Team)
Perfect Game (3rd Team)
National Honors
National Co-Freshman of the Year – Collegiate Baseball News
National Freshman Hitter of the Year – NCWBA
National Freshman of the Year – Perfect Game
Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist
Freshman All-America Teams
Collegiate Baseball News
NCWBA
Perfect Game
Pac-12 Awards
Freshman of the Year
All-Conference First Team Selection