On Tuesday, one day before the Big Ten Baseball tournament, the conference announced their individual awards and All-Big teams, and four Nittany Lions were selected for Big Ten Honors.
Big Ten batting champion watcher Matt Wood was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Designated hitter Josh Speigel was selected as second-team All-Big Ten selection. Utility player DH Anthony Steele was selected to the All-Big Ten freshman team. Finally, relief pitcher Mason Mellott was selected as the team’s representative for the Sportsmanship Award.
Wood became the first Nittany Lion to lead the conference in batting average since Michael Campo in 2000. Wood led the conference with a .395 batting average overall and a .413 batting average in conference play. He has reached base in 34 consecutive games, including a 26-game hitting streak during the season. Wood’s .395 average was third in the nation among catchers. He also led the team in hits (73), home runs (11), walks (34), runs batted in (50), runs (52), slugging (.681), and on-base percentage (.494).
Spiegel has split his time playing catcher, first base, and designated hitter in 2022. He is batting .305 while recording 60 hits this season with 10 home runs, 42 RBI, 16 doubles, two triples, and scored 33 runs. He has had 22 multi-hit games and ten multi-RBI games this season. In their signature 14-run ninth inning against Pitt at PNC park, Speigel hit the go-ahead three-run homer to spark the Rally.
Steele, who platoons with Spiegel, has shown in his freshman year to be an excellent utility player for Penn State. He has hit .250, with one home run, seven RBI, and scored five runs. He has also made seven pitching appearances.
Mellott has recorded three wins, and two saves in 20 appearances for Penn State in 2022. His 87 appearances are second in program history, and his 15 saves rank third. Mellott is a graduate student who obtained his degree in kinesiology last December, and he is now pursuing his Masters in recreation, parks, and tourism management.
Penn State will start the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday against the Iowa Hawkeyes, with the first pitch at 10 a.m. at Charles Schwab field in Omaha.
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