LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville baseball team added three more All-America honors on Saturday as the American Baseball Coaches Association named sophomore pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay and junior outfielder Corey Ray to its first team and included sophomore shortstop Devin Hairston as a third team selection.
Saturday’s announcement marked the fifth All-American awards this season for McKay and Ray, who were also honored by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, while Hairston received his first career All-America honor. Overall, seven different Louisville players have earned All-America honors this season (Zack Burdi, Drew Harrington, Kade McClure, Nick Solak), the highest single season total in school history.
A native of Darlington, Pennsylvania, McKay finished the season hitting .333 with six home runs, 41 RBI and 19 doubles at the plate, while going 12-4 with a 2.30 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 109.2 innings on the mound. Chosen to compete for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for the second straight season, McKay was also selected as an All-ACC honoree for the second straight year as both a pitcher and utility player.
An All-ACC First Team honoree for the second straight season, Ray closed 2016 with a .310 batting average, 15 home runs, 60 RBI and 55 runs scored. On June 9, Ray became the highest MLB Draft selection in school history going fifth overall to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Chicago native finished second in the nation in stolen bases with 44 and started all 64 games for Louisville. During his three seasons at Louisville, Ray had a .318 batting average with 27 home runs, 133 RBI and 82 stolen bases in 172 games played, including 148 starts.
A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Hairston hit .361 with three home runs, 45 RBI, 16 doubles and scored 56 runs while starting all 64 games for the Cardinals in 2016. Named as a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award, Hairston also posted a .478 slugging percentage and a .415 on-base percentage while earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference third-team honors. Additionally, he has been chosen to compete this summer with the 2016 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
The Cardinals closed the 2016 season with a 50-14 record overall after winning their second straight ACC Atlantic Division championship, advancing to their fourth straight NCAA Super Regional and reaching the 50-win plateau for the fourth time in school history.
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