Thompson Named Horizon League Freshman of the Year; Five Penguins Earn All-League Honors
5/23/2023 3:02:00 PM | Baseball
Youngstown State second baseman Matt Thompson was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year and five Penguins garnered all-league recognition when the league office announced its postseason award winners and all-league teams on Tuesday.
Sixth-year senior Padraig O'Shaughnessy was named First-Team All-Horizon League as a designated hitter while senior third baseman Braeden O'Shaughnessy and redshirt junior shortstop Trey Law were each named Second-Team All-Horizon League. In addition, Thompson and freshman left-hander Braden Gebhardt were selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
The Penguins had at least one player garner First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the third consecutive season. YSU has now had at least one first-team honoree in three straight seasons for the first time since 2008-10. The Penguins have also had at least one player named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in six of the last seven seasons that postseason awards have been handed out.
Thompson is the first player in program history to be named Horizon League Freshman of the Year. The only other time a YSU freshman earned a specialty award was when Mark Thomas was named Mid-Continent Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1997. Thompson has played in 46 games and made 45 starts at second base as a true freshman. The Wadsworth, Ohio, native is batting .311 and slugging .431 with 52 hits, nine doubles, one triple, three home runs and 28 RBIs. He has also recorded 21 walks, 32 runs scored, 72 total bases, a .419 on-base percentage and four stolen bases. Thompson batted .324 and slugged .480 with five doubles, three home runs and 20 RBIs in Horizon League play.
Thompson currently ranks ninth in the Horizon League with a .311 batting average. He is on pace to become just the seventh YSU freshman to bat at least .300 since YSU joined the Horizon League in 2002. He would be the first YSU freshman to bat at least .300 since Jason Shirley hit .303 in 2012. Thompson's 52 hits are the most by a YSU freshman since Jeff Wehler recorded 52 in 2018.
Padraig O'Shaughnessy earns all-league recognition for the first time in his YSU career. The Poland, Ohio, native becomes the first YSU player to earn all-league honors as a designated hitter since Jeremy Banks in 2012. O'Shaughnessy is batting .268 and slugging .485 with 13 doubles, one triple and nine home runs while leading the Penguins with 53 RBIs and 35 walks. He ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 35 walks, fifth with 53 RBIs and eighth with nine home runs. He also leads the league with six sacrifice flies. O'Shaughnessy's six sacrifice flies are tied for the second most in a season in program history. The sixth-year senior's 53 RBIs are tied for the third most in a season in program history. He is just the second Penguin since 2010 to record at least 50 RBIs in a season.
Law also garners all-league honors for the first time in his career. The Camp Hill, Pa., native is batting .370 with 80 hits, 17 doubles, one home run, 29 RBIs, 24 walks and 50 runs scored. He leads the Horizon League with 80 hits while also ranking second with a .370 batting average and 17 doubles and fourth with a .445 on-base percentage and 50 runs scored. Law has now hit safely in 43 of his last 48 games after putting together a career-best 15-game hitting streak from April 15 to May 18. Law's 80 hits are tied for the third most in a season in program history. He is the first Penguin to record at least 80 hits in a season since Jacke Healey had 83 in 2010. Law's .370 batting average is the highest by a Penguin since Jeremy Banks hit .385 in 2012. Only three players (John Koehnlein in 2007 and 2009), Tom Clayton (2010), and Jeremy Banks (2013) have hit at least .370 over a season since YSU joined the Horizon League in 2002. Law was named Horizon League Co-Batter of the Week on Feb. 28.
Braeden O'Shaughnessy earns all-league recognition for the second straight season after being named First-Team All-Horizon League as a second baseman in 2022. The Poland, Ohio, native is batting .295 and slugging .498 with 64 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 43 RBIs. He has also recorded 18 walks, 43 runs scored, a team-high 108 total bases, a .357 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases. O'Shaughnessy ranks fifth in the league with 64 hits, eighth with 43 runs scored, eighth with nine home runs, ninth with 15 doubles and 10th with 43 RBIs. He batted .339 and slugged .621 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBIs during Horizon League play. O'Shaughnessy was named Horizon League Batter of the Week on May 9.
Gebhardt was selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team after serving as a key piece in YSU's pitching staff in his debut collegiate season. The Howland, Ohio, native has a 3-3 record, a 6.29 ERA, one save and 54 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched over 21 appearances and nine starts. He ranks third on the team in both strikeouts and innings pitched as a true freshman. Gebhardt's 54 strikeouts are the most by a YSU freshman since Collin Floyd had 58 in 2016. He is just the fourth YSU freshman to record at least 50 strikeouts since YSU joined the Horizon League in 2002. Gebhardt currently ranks eighth in the Horizon League with a .270 opponent batting average.
Youngstown State will open play in the 2023 Horizon League Baseball Championship against Milwaukee on Wednesday at noon at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
