Hernandez Named Baseball America's Top Freshman

June 30, 2008

DURHAM, N.C.—University of Miami freshman left-handed pitcher Chris Hernandez has been named the 2008 Baseball America National Freshman of the Year.

Hernandez, a Baseball America third-team All-American who led Miami with 11 victories, becomes the fifth Hurricane to win BA’s top freshman honor, and the fourth since Jim Morris became Miami’s head coach prior to the 1994 season. He’s just the fourth Atlantic Coast Conference player to win the honor, with three of those (Hernandez, 2007 winner Dustin Ackley and 2002 winner Stephen Drew) coming in the last seven seasons.

Hernandez owned the best record by a freshman pitcher in Miami history going 11-0 with a 2.72 ERA. He struck out 117 in 112 2/3 innings while opponents hit just .223 against him. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association inaugural National Freshman Pitcher of the Year and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned first team All-ACC honors as well as Louisville Slugger, NCBWA and Baseball America All-America honors.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS
1982 – Cory Snyder, 3b, Brigham Young
1983 – Rafael Palmeiro, of, Mississippi State
1984 – Greg Swindell, lhp, Texas
1985 – Jack McDowell, rhp, Stanford; Ron Wenrich, of, Georgia
1986 – Robin Ventura, 3b, Oklahoma State
1987 – Paul Carey, of, Stanford
1988 – Kirk Dressendorfer, rhp, Texas
1989 – Alex Fernandez, rhp, Miami
1990 – Jeffrey Hammonds, of, Stanford
1991 – Brooks Kieschnick, rhp/dh, Texas
1992 – Todd Walker, 2b, Louisiana State
1993 – Brett Laxton, rhp, Louisiana State
1994 – R.A. Dickey, rhp, Tennessee
1995 – Kyle Peterson, rhp, Stanford
1996 – Pat Burrell, 3b, Miami
1997 – Brian Roberts, ss, North Carolina
1998 – Xavier Nady, 2b, California
1999 – James Jurries, 2b, Tulane
2000 – Kevin Howard, 3b-ss, Miami
2001 – Michael Aubrey, lhp-1b, Tulane
2002 – Stephen Drew, ss, Florida State
2003 – Ryan Braun, ss, Miami
2004 – Wade LeBlanc, lhp, Alabama
2005 – Joe Savery, lhp/1b, Rice
2006 – Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Vanderbilt
2007 – Dustin Ackley, 1b, North Carolina
2008 – Chris Hernandez, lhp, Miami

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