June 6, 2007

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Wednesday, June 06, 2007) Southeast Missouri State Redhawks freshmen baseball players Jim Klocke and Nick Harris were named 2007 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans today, as selected by Collegiate Baseball.

Klocke, a St. Louis, Mo., product out of St. John Vianney High School, started all but two games behind the plate for the Redhawks in 2007 despite never before catching in high school. The 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year played and started every game this season, making starts as designated hitter when he was not catching. The left-handed batter hit .324 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBIs. He led the team with a .443 on-base percentage as well as 34 walks, which was just one shy of the OVC lead. Meanwhile, Klocke struck out only 13 times in his 179 at bats, and he ranks as the 49th toughest player to strikeout nationally with one strikeout per 13.8 at bats. In addition to All-American and OVC Freshman of the Year honors, Klocke was also named to the OVC All-Freshman squad, and he was named to the OVC All-Tournament team.

Jim Klocke was also named the 2007 OVC Freshman of the Year. (Photo by Sean Magee)

Harris, a native of Alabaster, Ala., who came to Southeast from Thompson High School, also started every game this season for Southeast. The freshman third baseman hit for a .281 clip at the plate in 2007 while tying for the team lead with 12 doubles, eight home runs and 10 stolen bases. He had a pair of two-homer games, and he hit a grand slam in both of those performances. Harris, who bats right-handed, led the squad with four triples, including a three-bagger in his first collegiate at bat. He was second on the squad with 53 runs scored; he also drove in 37 RBIs on the year. Harris ended the season with 228 at bats, just one shy of tying the Southeast single-season record. He was also named to the OVC All-Freshman team this season.

Klocke and Harris become the first All-American selections of anykind for the Southeast program since pitcher Brad Smith was a pre-season All-American in 2004. Meanwhile, the last Freshman All-American for Southeast was Zach Borowiak, who was an honorable mention in 2000.

Richie Derbak of Eastern Illinois was the only other OVC freshman baseball player to be named to the 2007 Freshman All-American team.