GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Florida State sophomore catcher Matheu Nelson has been voted the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches, while Seminoles’ left-hander Parker Messick was voted the ACC Pitcher and Freshman of the Year.
Boston College outfielder Sal Frelick was selected the Defensive Player of the Year, and Notre Dame’s Link Jarrett was recognized by his peers as the Coach of the Year.
Nelson leads the nation in home runs with 22 and is tied for second in RBI with 63. The sophomore backstop is the first Florida State player with at least 20 homers in a season since Buster Posey in 2008.
The Largo, Florida, native paces the conference in slugging percentage with an .802 clip and in total bases (142). Nelson leads the Seminoles in batting average (.339), hits (40) and doubles (16). He is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) to the top player in collegiate baseball.
Messick has turned in a stellar season for the ‘Noles to secure the conference’s Pitcher and Freshman of the Year honors, as he has compiled a 6-2 record on the mound to go along with a 3.30 earned run average (ERA), both of which lead his team and rank among the best in the ACC. In 79 innings pitched, Messick has struck out 114, second most in the conference.
Hailing from Plant City, Florida, Messick was recently named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country, and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.
It marks the first time in conference history that the same school has earned player, pitcher and freshman of the year in the same season. Florida State is the first school to claim ACC Player and Pitcher of the Year accolades in the same season since 2013 (North Carolina).
Frelick, a native of Lexington, Massachusetts, has provided a strong defensive presence for a Boston College team that ranks among the nation’s top 20 with a .980 team fielding percentage. The junior owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 126 putouts and one assist. He has made several highlight reel catches in center field for the Eagles and has also been strong at the plate.
He became the fastest player to 100 career hits in BC history earlier this season, needing just 72 games. He leads the Eagles with a .359 batting average, 70 hits and 17 doubles.
After Notre Dame was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division in the ACC Coaches’ Preseason Poll, Jarrett led the Fighting Irish to the No. 1 seed in the ACC Baseball Championship and the squad won the division title. He guided UND to 25 conference wins, the most by any team and four more than the next-best conference record.
Under Jarrett’s tutelage, Notre Dame is ranked as high as No. 3 in this week’s top 25 by Baseball America. The Irish’s pitching staff has been stellar this season, as the group has allowed the fewest runs (165) and hits (315) of any ACC team.
The complete All-ACC and All-Freshman Teams will be announced later this afternoon.
