Jon Jay and Danny Gil Tabbed Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans

June 14, 2004

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Freshmen Jon Jay and Danny Gil were named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team over the weekend after turning in outstanding rookie seasons for the top-ranked Hurricanes.

Jay, a Miami native and graduate of Columbus High School, has started 54 games for Miami in left field and is second on the club in hitting with a .364 average. The left-hander is third in RBI with 49 and third in on-base percentage at .447.

He is tied for the team lead in multiple-hit games with 26, including two four-hit games. Jay is also tied for second in multiple-RBI games with 12. Maybe the highlight of Jay’s season to date is the walk-off, two-out grand slam to beat Long Beach State on May 28.

Gil, also out of Columbus High School and a native of Miami, moved into Miami’s closers role in late April and has thrived with an 8-0 record and five saves. The right-hander has made 26 appearances with a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 innings of work. Gil is five for six in save opportunities with 49 strikeouts, which works out to 11.7 per nine innings. Opponents are hitting a team-low .180 off Gil.

The last of Gil’s five saves may have been the biggest as he came on with two outs in the eighth inning with the winning run at the plate against Florida in game one of the super regional on June 12. He would strike out three of the four batters he faced to earn the save and secure the UM win.

The Hurricanes will face LSU on Saturday, June 19, at 7 p.m. on ESPN in the opening round of the 2004 College World Series in Omaha, Neb.