University of Louisville lefthander and first baseman Brendan McKay received his third National Player of the Year accolade as Perfect Game honored the junior on Tuesday. Additionally, McKay was joined by juniors Drew Ellis and Lincoln Henzman as All-America selections by both Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday, while sophomore Sam Bordner received his first career All-America nod from the NCBWA.
The Perfect Game honor for McKay is added to his national player of the year awards from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball newspaper. The Darlington, Pennsylvania also earned his third straight John Olerud Two-Way National Player of the Year Award and became the highest MLB Draft selection in school history going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays.
A native of Darlington, Pennsylvania, McKay has a 10-3 record with a 2.34 ERA and a school record 140 strikeouts in 104.0 innings on the mound this season. During his three-year collegiate career, McKay has accumulated a 31-10 record with a 2.15 ERA and 385 strikeouts, the most ever for a Louisville pitcher. At the plate, the 2017 ACC Player of the Year has a .343 batting average, 17 home runs, 13 doubles, 56 RBIs and a .464 on-base percentage in 60 starts as a hitter this season. In 179 career starts and 186 total appearances as a hitter, McKay has a .328 career batting average with 27 home runs, 46 doubles and 131 RBIs.
Ellis, a Perfect Game First Team All-American and NCBWA Second Team All-Americans, leads the Cardinals with a .367 batting average, 20 home runs, 18 doubles, 61 RBI and .729 slugging percentage. The Jeffersonville, Indiana native has started all 62 games this season splitting his time between first base and third base. Ellis was an All-ACC First Team selection and was chosen as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. He was also selected as the National Player of the Month in April by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after hitting .455 (30-for-66) in 19 games with five doubles, one triple and eight homers, 22 RBI and a .532 on-base percentage.
Henzman, a NCBWA First Team All-American and a Perfect Game Second Team All-American, ranks second in the nation with 16 saves to go with his 3-0 record, 1.77 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched and 25 total relief appearances. Thirteen of the Lexington, Kentucky native’s 16 saves came against ACC foes, while opposing hitters are batting just .164 against him this season. The 16 saves for Henzman rank as the third most in a season by a Louisville player, while his 19 career saves are also third all-time.
Bordner, who tabbed as a Third Team All-American by the NCBWA, has been dominant out of the Cardinals bullpen this season registering a 0.47 ERA with 2-0 record, three saves and 35 strikeouts in 38.2 innings of work. A native of Baltimore, Ohio, Bordner opened the season with 30.2 consecutive scoreless innings and has now allowed a run to score in 20 of his 21 appearances this season.
The No. 7 national seed Cardinals (52-10) will continue their season at the 2017 College World Series against Texas A&M on Sunday at 2 p.m., ET at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
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Garett Wall
Assistant Sports Information Director