Diamond Notes : Kent Matthes Named Consensus All-America

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June 18, 2009

UA senior named to six All-America squads in 2009

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama right fielder Kent Matthes added two more All-America honors today, earning the senior consensus All-America honors for the 2009 college baseball season.

Matthes was named First-Team All-America by Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) this week. He was also named First-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Rival.com following a stellar season at the Capstone.

He is also one of five finalists for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award, which will be presented by USA Baseball at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Monday, July 13 in St. Louis.

In addition, he was the SEC Player of the Year, a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and an ABCA All-South Region selection.

The Orlando, Fla., native hit .358 with 28 home runs and 81 RBI for the Crimson Tide this season. He led the SEC in home runs, RBI, total bases (174) and slugging percentage (.883). He was also third in runs scored (65) and sixth in hitting this season.

Matthes set the Alabama single-season record with 28 home runs, which tied him for the national home run lead with Middle Tennessee State’s Bryce Brentz. Matthes is the fifth NCAA statistical national champion in school history. He broke the UA single-season home run record with his 28th home run against South Carolina on May 20 at the SEC Tournament. He slugged his 27th home run of the season in the Tide’s regular season finale at Auburn on May 16 to tie Doug Duke’s single-season home run record set in 1986.

He had four multi-home run games and one walk-off home run this season. In addition, 16 of his 28 home runs have tied the game or given Alabama the lead, including 10 go-ahead home runs. He also has nine game-winning RBI.

In March, he set the Alabama record with a home run in six straight games and was twice named National and SEC Player of the Week. He hit for the cycle on Feb. 24 against Nicholls State and followed that up with a walk-off 10th inning home run the next day.

Kent Matthes’ 2009 Honors and Awards

*First-Team All-American (ABCA, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA, Rivals.com, Ping Baseball)
*NCBWA District III Player of the Year
*Finalist for Golden Spikes Award (USA Baseball Player of the Year)
*Semi-Finalist for Dick Howser Trophy (NCBWA Player of the Year)
*2009 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year
*ABCA All-South Region Team
*First-Team All-SEC (SEC Coaches)
*SEC Good Works Team (Community Service)
*Collegiate Baseball Newspaper/Louisville Slugger Player of the Week (March 16)
*SEC Player of the Week (March 16)
*College Baseball Foundation All-Star Lineup (March 16)
*Collegiate Baseball Newspaper/Louisville Slugger Player of the Week (March 2)
*SEC Player of the Week (March 2)
*College Baseball Foundation All-Star Lineup (March 2)


-UA-


RTR,

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