Pioneers’ Kelso named All-American
Platteville, Wis.- Junior Jonathan Kelso, of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball program, had the greatest season in Pioneer history. After a record breaking regular season, Kelso continues to add to his post-season honors. A day after being named D3baseball.com All-Midwest Region Player of the Year and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Midwest Region first team, the player of the year in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference added D3baseball.com first team All-American honors to his accolades.
Platteville, Wis.- The honors keep pouring in for record setting junior Jonathan Kelso, of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball program. Kelso was recently named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-American second team. This honor comes on the heels of being named a first team All-American by d3baseball.com.
The All-American selections add to the growing list of post-season accolades. Kelso has been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, d3baseball.com All-Midwest Region Player of the Year and an ABCA/Rawlings first team All-Midwest Region selection.
Kelso led the WIAC in hits (69), batting average (.442), slugging percentage (.782), on-base percentage (.532), on-base-plus-slugging (1.314), and stolen bases (27). Kelso finished second in runs (55), total bases (122), doubles (18) and triples (4) and fourth in homeruns (9). He broke the school single season record for hits and total bases while recording the best batting average since Brian Potter hit .443 in 1996.
"The UW-Platteville baseball program has been around a long time. For Jonny to be earning this program's first All-American honor, this is very special. It is special for his current teammates and coaches, and for all the players and coaches who have come before us," Head Coach Chad Harris said. "For those of us who saw him every day, this award is a no brainer. When people who did not see him routinely still recognized how great his season was, that says it all. Personally, it is hard to put into words how proud of him I truly am. He has 100% earned every honor he has received."
The Villa Park, Illinois native recorded a hit in 36 of the 41 games he played. Kelso had a season and career best 13-game hitting streak and finished the season with a 10-game hitting streak. He recorded 25 multi-hit games with seven games of three or more hits. Kelso did not commit one error in 115 chances while starting all 41 games in centerfield.
"It's pretty special when one of the best players in the country, not just in your program, is also one of the highest character guys on the team. That says a lot," Harris said. "Younger guys can follow him, even older guys look up to him and follow his lead, because they know he is going to do things the right way."
Kelso is the first Pioneer in school history to be named to two All-American teams, All-Midwest Region Player of the Year and WIAC Player of the Year.