Buuck's Freshman of the Year highlights Baseball All-NACC honors
MEQUON, Wis. – Freshman pitcher Carter Buuck had a memorable first season for the Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball Team. The rookie southpaw was honored by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference for his efforts Thursday, as he was named the league's Freshman of the Year.
Buuck (Hillsboro, Ore.) highlighted three Falcons players who were recognized by the league. Buuck was also named All-NACC First Team, while freshman Nathan Thyssen earned All-NACC Second Team honors. Freshman Michael Szeszol joined those two on the NACC All-Freshmen Team.
Buuck had an impressive season that started with a 28.1 scoreless innings streak. The freshman led the NACC with a 1.59 ERA, while finishing second in the league with 50 strikeouts. He tossed 56.2 innings and posted a 4-3 record with two complete-game efforts. Buuck walked just 16 batters and gave up 15 runs, only 10 of those earned during the season.
Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) was arguably the best freshman hitter in the conference and earned Second Team honors for his efforts. The rookie ranked tied for fourth in the conference with 43 RBI, while posting a .377 batting average. He also finished third in the league with a .497 on-base percentage and scored 36 runs for the Falcons. Thyssen set the school record for triples in a season, as he is currently at 10, while adding three home runs and eight doubles. He has earned respect from opposing pitchers, walking a NACC-best 30 times.
Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.) played a very important role for the Falcons after moving into the starting lineup and leadoff spot on April 6. In 25 games the rookie outfielder batted .372 with 22 runs scored and a team-best 12 stolen bases. His on-base percentage is at .419 as he has helped set the tone from the top of the Falcons lineup.
Concordia Chicago had the NACC Position Player of the Year and the Pitcher of the Year. Carlos Olavarria was named the Position Player of the Year for the second straight season, while Cody Caballero earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Jason Bartelt of Marian University, who led the Sabres to a share of the NACC Regular Season title with CUC, was named the league's Coach of the Year.
A complete list of the 2015 All-NACC Awards can be found here.
The Falcons will begin NACC Tournament play this afternoon at 1 p.m. Live coverage for all tournament games are available at CUWFalcons.com.
