Three Scarlet Knights Named All-Big Ten
May 23 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Senior Mike Carter, junior Chris Folinusz and sophomore Nick Matera all were voted Third Team All-Big Ten to represent Rutgers baseball in the conference postseason release announced Tuesday. The three selections are the most for the Scarlet Knights in a season since joining the Big Ten in 2015. In addition, fifth-year senior Max Herrmann merited the team's Sportsmanship Award from the league.
Starting 23 games at first base, 15 at designated hitter, 13 in left field and two in center field, Carter earned All-Big Ten status as a utility player. He finished the season tied for third in the conference with 72 hits, one off the pace, while sitting 11th with 101 total bases and tied for 14th with a .329 average. The two-time captain hit .440 in 30 non-conference games, as the Scarlet Knights played the 31st-toughest schedule in the nation. Also, the senior led the team with 33 RBIs, 14 doubles and 20 multiple-hit games, adding 37 runs scored and five homers with a .397 on-base percentage and a .470 slugging percentage. He had a 5-for-5 performance in RU's school-record 28-run outburst at Lafayette.
This is the second postseason league honor for Carter, who was named Third Team All-American Athletic Conference in 2014. He collected 210 career hits, 115 runs, 99 RBIs and 28 stolen bases over 179 games.
Folinusz takes All-Big Ten status after coming back to hit a team-high .323 in league games following missing the 2016 season due to injury. He had seven multiple-hit games against conference opponents, picking up six doubles. That included a two-out, three-run double to break open the game in Rutgers' victory over then-No. 17 Michigan at Bainton Field. Overall, Folinusz slashed .283/.325/.391 on the season with home runs at Miami and at North Florida. He is the first Scarlet Knight to earn all-conference as a designated hitter since Jon Gossard in 2007.
Matera led Rutgers with a .504 slugging percentage as a sophomore, collecting 36 hits with 11 doubles and five home runs in 123 at bats. He notched a .293 batting average overall to place second among Big Ten catchers and hit .300 against the league. Also in conference games, he ranked second with nine runners caught stealing from behind the plate. Matera hit a three-run home run in the team's rubber game victory over Iowa and had three games with at least four RBIs. RU has now had a catcher selected for All-Big Ten status in back-to-back years, with R.J. Devish taking the honors in 2016.
Herrmann gathers the Sportsmanship Award after serving as a team captain in 2017. The left-handed pitcher notched a 3.31 ERA in 22 appearances on the mound, striking out 29 in 32.2 innings with a .242 average against. Maintaining a 4.0 GPA in graduate school, he previously earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District II Team as a student in the School of Management and Labor Relations. Herrmann finished his career ranked second in the program record books with 86 games pitched and third with 15 saves.
Click here for the full release from the Big Ten.
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