University of Evansville freshman shortstop Eric Stamets (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) became the ninth Purple Aces’ freshman in school history to earn Freshman All-America honors on Wednesday, as Stamets was tabbed a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Stamets was selected as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American after earning first team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors and MVC Freshman of the Year accolades for the Purple Aces in 2010. Stamets leads all freshmen nationally in stolen bases at the Division I level, having swiped a school-record 43 bases this spring. Overall, Stamets currently ranks fifth at the Division I level in stolen bases.
Stamets started all 59 games for UE at shortstop as a true freshman this spring, and he proceeded to hit .321 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI, while leading the team and ranking fourth in the MVC with 57 runs scored. Stamets was a constant at the top of the UE batting order, as he did not go back-to-back games without a base hit for the Purple Aces, while posting a .422 on-base percentage as UE’s lead-off man.
Stamets also shined defensively for the Purple Aces, posting a solid .962 fielding percentage while setting a new single-season school record for assists with 226. Stamets finished the 2010 season leading the MVC in assists, as he dished out 57 more assists than any other player in the league. He also helped key 54 of UE’s school-record and conference-leading 69 double plays this spring.
“From day one, Eric Stamets was a difference maker for our program this spring, and I’m proud to see him earn the respect of being named a Freshman All-American,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “He is definitely deserving of Freshman All-America honors, because I have seen very few freshmen come into the Division I level and have the type of impact on the game like he had this spring for us. Both offensively and defensively, Eric had a huge impact in just about every game we played.”
Stamets becomes the first Purple Ace to earn Freshman All-America honors since 2008, when current junior outfielder Greg Wallace was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Other Freshman All-Americans in UE baseball history include Pat Tumilty (2004), Erik Lis (2003), Anthony Albano (2002), Mike Serafini (2001), Vince Serafini (1999), Preston Larrison (1999) and Wes Carroll (1998).
Stamets will be one of 22 letterwinners, including seven position starters, who are scheduled to return for head coach Wes Carroll’s Purple Aces in the spring of 2011.
