May 22, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three University of Iowa baseball student-athletes earned All-Big Ten recognition, the league office announced Tuesday. Iowa’s honorees include senior Phil Keppler, freshman Sasha Kuebel and freshman Taylor Kaufman. In addition, junior Matt Dermody was named Iowa baseball’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Keppler, a senior from Manchester, Iowa, was named second team All-Big Ten. The outfielder ranked second on the team with a .345 batting average in 43 games played. He accumulated 50 hits, 24 runs, 22 RBI, 11 walks, six doubles, one home run and a triple. Keppler also ranked second on the team with a .337 batting average in conference games. The former West Delaware High School prep standout tied for third on the team with 15 multi-hit games, including five, three-hit contests. He finished the year with five multiple-RBI games and enjoyed an 11-game hitting streak, which was the second-longest for any Iowa player this season. Additionally, he reached base in the final 13 games of the year. Keppler was named Big Ten Player of the Week on April 9. He collected 11 hits in 15 at-bats (.733) over five games against South Dakota State and Nebraska from April 3-8, while driving in seven runs and scoring five.
Kuebel was a unanimous All-Big Ten freshman team honoree while also earning second team all-conference accolades. The St. Louis, Mo., native finished his rookie campaign with an unblemished 6-0 record in 13 starts. The six victories ranked first on the team. The LHP carded a 2.67 ERA, which ranked seventh overall in the conference and first among league freshmen. Kuebel limited opposing hitters to a .241 batting average, which ranked ninth in the Big Ten. He ranked first on the team with two complete games. Kuebel concluded his freshman season with a bang, shutting down conference champion and 13th-ranked Purdue last Friday. He allowed one run while scattering eight singles and striking out four against the fifth-best hitting team in the country. The contest marked only the fourth time this season Purdue was held to one or fewer runs in a game. For the season, Kuebel recorded 36 strikeouts in 87.2 innings pitched, allowing only 15 walks.
Kaufman, a native of Glenwood, Iowa, was also named to the All-Big Ten freshman team. The LHP tied for first on the team with 22 appearances, all of which came in relief. Kaufman did not record a loss during his rookie season, finishing with a 3-0 record. He recorded a 3.38 ERA in 26.2 innings pitched while striking out 25 batters and allowing only 11 free passes. During conference games, he went 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA in 12 appearances.
Thirty-five Hawkeyes have earned All-Big Ten honors under ninth-year head coach Jack Dahm, including a total of 11 the last three years.
For a complete list of the 2012 All-Big Ten honorees visit bigten.org.