Lauer Tabbed as Collegiate Baseball's National Player of the Year
6/2/2016 10:30:00 AM | Baseball
Eric Lauer was named the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I Player of the Year as announced by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Thursday.
The accolade also handed him First Team All-America honors. Teammate and fellow left-handed pitcher Eli Kraus was recognized as a Second Team All-American.
Lauer owns the nation's best ERA of 0.69 while ranking second in the country in WHIP and hits per nine innings. His 125 strikeouts on the year were the second-best in a single season in Kent State history while he stands second in career strikeouts at KSU. Lauer threw the 11th no-hitter in Kent State history this season while racking up numerous accolades along the way.
Kraus earns Second Team All-American honors after posting a 9-1 season with a 2.64 ERA. After getting the loss in his first outing of the year and the first weekend start of his career, he did not lose another game the rest of the season in 14 total starts. Kraus was undefeated in conference play at 6-0 with a 2.24 ERA to receive First Team All MAC honors.
Lauer, a junior, is expected to be taken in the first round of the MLB Draft next week while Kraus, a sophomore, will return to Kent State's weekend rotation in 2017.
Collegiate Baseball's All-America announcement was the first to be released. Other outlets are expected to publicize their All-Americans in the coming weeks as the 2016 baseball season wraps up.
