UConn Baseball: Two Huskies Earn ABCA/Rawlings All-American Honors

With the regular season wrapped up, the American Athletic Conference announced their 2018 yearly awards and UConn baseball had five representatives after finishing third in the conference.

Freshman infielder Christian Fedko earned the sole individual award, bringing home Rookie Position Player of the Year. He was a versatile piece for the Huskies, playing 46 games at second base, third base and designated hitter throughout the season. Fedko hit .248 with an on-base percentage of .315 and slugging percentage of .318.

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Mason Feole and outfield Isaac Feldstein were both named First Team All-Conference. Feole was a critical piece of UConn’s rotation, especially after ace Tim Cate went down with an arm injury in March. He was the Huskies’ best pitcher, leading the team in ERA (2.49), wins (eight) and innings pitched (86.2) while also reaching the 100-strikeout mark with 103 punch-outs.

Feldstein brought the power in UConn’s lineup, leading the team with 13 home runs and 37 RBI despite missing a handful games with a concussion. He slashed .287/.378/.579 — the latter of which was tops by over .100 points.

Catcher Zac Susi and closer PJ Poulin were named Second Team All-Conference. Susi started a majority of his 47 appearances behind the plate, providing a reliable presence for the Huskies’ pitchers. He was also one of the top bats in the lineup, leading the team with a .330 average and .401 OBP while finishing second with 60 hits and 21 walks and currently owns a 40-game on-base streak.

In the series finale against ECU, Poulin set the program record for saves in a season with 15. He limited batters to a .239 batting average against with a 3.32 ERA. Poulin frequently overpowered opponents, notching 52 strikeouts in 40.2 innings.

UConn opens play as the No. 3 seed in The American Tournament on Wednesday against No. 6 Cincinnati. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with Mason Feole expected to take the mound for the Huskies.

UPDATE — June 18, 2018

Pitchers Mason Feole and P.J. Poulin were both named ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans for their performances this year. They become the 10th and 11th players to earn the honor under Penders and the fourth-straight season a player has been honored. They are the first duo to win the award since Carson Cross and Vinny Siena did so in 2015.

Feole will return as UConn’s ace next season while Poulin was drafted in the 11th round by the Colorado Rockies and signed with the team, ending his collegiate career.