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Five Nebraska Baseball Players Earn All-Conference Honors From The Big Ten For 2024

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Nebraska’s Brett Sears, Mason McConnaughey, Tyler Stone, Case Sanderson and Drew Christo received All-Big Ten honors, the conference office announced.

Sears was a first-team selection and tabbed the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first NU pitcher to be named Pitcher of the Year since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2012. McConnaughey and Stone were second-team honorees, while Sanderson was a third-team selection and named to the All-Freshman Team.

Rounding out the Husker honorees was Christo, who was Nebraska’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Sears is having a breakout 2024 campaign, ranking among the national leaders throughout the season. The Westphalia, Iowa, native has totaled 11 quality starts and is 8-0 with a 2.05 ERA, which ranks fourth in the country. Sears is third nationally with a 0.83 WHIP and sits 18th in hits allowed/9 inn. (5.87) and 19th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.44) and walks allowed/9 inn. (1.57).

The senior is the second NU pitcher since 1999 to start the season with an 8-0 record, joining Brian Duensing in 2005. Earlier this season, Sears’ nine consecutive quality starts were the most by a Nebraska hurler since at least 1999, and the longest active streak this season by any starting pitcher in Division I. Sears is one of five NU pitchers since 2000 to post 11-plus quality starts in a season and is the first since Chance Sinclair in 2014.

McConnaughey is 7-3 this season with a 3.10 ERA, which ranks third in the Big Ten. The sophomore has totaled 70 punchouts in 61 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .244 batting average. McConnaughey has posted four outings with at least seven strikeouts, including a season-high 10 strikeouts in 7.1 innings against Indiana.

Stone is hitting .313 for the Big Red with eight home runs and 33 RBI, tallying 10 multi-hit games this season, including four three-hit efforts. Earlier this year, the Scottsdale, Ariz., native became the second Husker this season with home runs in three consecutive games against Maryland, Kansas and Iowa from April 21-26 . The junior also ranks third on the Huskers with eight multi-RBI performances, driving in a trio of runs against Grand Canyon and Iowa.

Sanderson, a freshman, leads the Huskers with a .373 batting average along with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 21 RBI across 45 games this season. The Nevada, Mo., native reached base in 24 of the last 25 games to end the regular season and has reached base at a .510 clip this season which ranks 19th in the nation and second in the Big Ten. Sanderson is currently on pace to become the first Nebraska player since Alex Gordon in 2005 to post an on-base percentage of .500-or-better.