June 13, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame first baseman Trey Mancini has been named a 2011 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine, adding to his honor earlier this season as BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. He is the first Notre Dame baseball player to receive first team Freshman All-American honors since RHP Kyle Weiland in 2006. Mancini is the 22nd Notre Dame baseball player since 1990 to receive Freshman All-America honors and 13th such player to be named a first team Freshman All-American.
Mancini was the first Notre Dame freshman and eighth player in program history to lead the Irish in all three triple-crown categories (batting average, home runs and RBI). Only seven players have accomplished the feat since 1948. The other players to lead Notre Dame in all three categories included Ryan Connolly (2010), Dan Peltier (1989), Mike Trudeau (1985), George Sefcik (1962), Dick O’Leary (1961) and Elmer Kohorst (1956, although tied for home run lead).
Mancini led the Irish in batting (.323), hits (61), triples (three), home runs (nine), RBI (34), total bases (109), slugging percentage (.577), on-base percentage (.385), multiple hit games (17), multiple RBI games (nine) and runs scored (33). He ranked sixth in the BIG EAST in slugging percentage and tied for seventh in home runs. Mancini earned BIG EAST honor roll three times this season. The BIG EAST honored no player more this season in terms of Player of the Week/Honor Roll than Mancini.
The 10 previous Notre Dame players to receive first team Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball: RHP Pat Leahy (`90), C Dennis Twombley (`94), RHP Aaron Heilman (`98), C Paul O’Toole (`99), RF Brian Stavisky (`00), 2B Steve Sollmann (`01), RHP Grant Johnson (`02), RHP Jeff Samardzija (`04), 3B Brett Lilley (`05) and RHP Kyle Weiland (’06).
The Irish baseball program also has featured seven players who were named Freshman All-Americans by Baseball America (TBA for `11): five 1st teamers in RHP David Sinnes (`90), 2B Greg Layson (`91), INF Brant Ust (`97), RHP Heilman (’98), and 2B Steve Sollmann (`01), plus a pair 2nd teamers in OF Paul Failla (`92) and RHP Johnson (`02). Seven other previous Notre Dame players were honorable mention Freshman All-Americans, per Collegiate Baseball: OF Ryan Topham (`93), CF Scott Sollmann (`94), RHP Larry Mohs (`94), RHP Alex Shilliday (`96), CF Steve Stanley (`99), 3B A.J. Pollock (’07) and LHP Ryan Richter (’09).
— ND —