Theetge, Angelini earn Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors

Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University baseball teammates Steve Theetge (Cicero, N.Y.) and Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) have been named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, the Collegiate Baseball newspaper announced on Wednesday.

The duo are the fifth and sixth players in the Bulldogs' Division I history to earn Freshman All-American honors from Louisville Slugger. They also become the first teammates in program history to earn the honor in the same season. Bryant has now had a Freshman All-American in each of the last four years.

Theetge stepped right into the weekend rotation for the Bulldogs and put together one of the best seasons for a freshman pitcher in program history. He earned First Team All-NEC honors after finishing the season a perfect 9-0 with a 2.72 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings. Theetge allowed 65 hits, walked 22 and induced a team-high 11 double plays on the year. He allowed four runs in his first-career appearance but allowed three earned runs or more just twice more in his final 15 appearances. Theetge put together a stretch of eight starts in which he allowed one earned run or less in eight of them. He tossed three complete games on the year, including a three-hit shutout of Mount St. Mary's.

Angelini, the NEC Rookie of the Year, split time over the first month of the season but eventually emerged as Bryant's starting right fielder and put together an outstanding rookie season. He hit .353 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 26 RBI and 47 runs scored. Angelini also walked 26 times, was hit 11 times, stole nine bases and posted a .466 OBP. He finished the year on a 14-game hitting streak, including all five postseason games. Angelini made his first-career home run a big one, hitting a three-run shot in Bryant's 7-4 victory over No. 22 Kentucky. He finished the year with 19 multi-hit games and also earned First Team All-NEC honors.