WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Evan Albrecht's team-leading .365 batting average coupled with his defensive consistency as the captain of the infield earned Purdue baseball's senior shortstop All-Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Albrecht was a second-team selection in the Midwest Region, which features teams in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa. Rawlings is the presenting sponsor of the ABCA All-Region Teams.
While posting the Boilermakers' top batting average since 2009, making his .365 clip the program's best of the BBCOR bat era (2011-present), Albrecht committed to return to Purdue as a fifth-year student-athlete for the 2022-23 school year. He'll exercise an eligibility extension available after the 2020 campaign was cut short. The four-year starting middle infielder was also on the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award this season, an honor that recognizes the nation's top shortstop.
Despite not starting the season opener, Albrecht's all-around excellence at shortstop led to him not leaving the field beginning with the first pitch of game No. 4 of the season on Sunday, Feb. 20. He compiled a .958 fielding percentage at shortstop, including a sparkling .991 mark while committing just one error in Big Ten play.
Albrecht stole 22 bases in 24 attempts, joining forces with Curtis Washington Jr. (31) and Mike Bolton Jr. (28) to help Purdue break the team record for steals with 116. The Boilermakers had three players with 20-plus steals for the first time ever. Albrecht entered the season with 10 steals in 106 career games.
After serving as Purdue's nine-hole hitter through the end of March, Albrecht's consistency led to him being elevated in the lineup. He batted in the two through six portion for 21 games before settling into the seven-hole for much of the stretch run. He kept his average over .400 through April 19 and finished the season with a team-high .452 on-base percentage.
Albrecht's 11 three-hit games were the most by a Boilermaker since 2010 while making him just the fourth Purdue player since 2001 with three or more hits in at least 10 games. He also enjoyed a career-best 25-game on-base streak as one of six Boilermakers with a streak of at least 20 games this season.
Albrecht follows in the footsteps of former teammate Ben Nisle, who was recognized as an All-Midwest Region outfielder last season after enjoying a 1.000 OPS season. Prior to Nisle, Purdue had not had an All-Region honoree since the 2012 Big Ten Championship team produced four.
Albrecht was a second-team selection in the Midwest Region, which features teams in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa. Rawlings is the presenting sponsor of the ABCA All-Region Teams.
While posting the Boilermakers' top batting average since 2009, making his .365 clip the program's best of the BBCOR bat era (2011-present), Albrecht committed to return to Purdue as a fifth-year student-athlete for the 2022-23 school year. He'll exercise an eligibility extension available after the 2020 campaign was cut short. The four-year starting middle infielder was also on the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award this season, an honor that recognizes the nation's top shortstop.
Despite not starting the season opener, Albrecht's all-around excellence at shortstop led to him not leaving the field beginning with the first pitch of game No. 4 of the season on Sunday, Feb. 20. He compiled a .958 fielding percentage at shortstop, including a sparkling .991 mark while committing just one error in Big Ten play.
Albrecht stole 22 bases in 24 attempts, joining forces with Curtis Washington Jr. (31) and Mike Bolton Jr. (28) to help Purdue break the team record for steals with 116. The Boilermakers had three players with 20-plus steals for the first time ever. Albrecht entered the season with 10 steals in 106 career games.
After serving as Purdue's nine-hole hitter through the end of March, Albrecht's consistency led to him being elevated in the lineup. He batted in the two through six portion for 21 games before settling into the seven-hole for much of the stretch run. He kept his average over .400 through April 19 and finished the season with a team-high .452 on-base percentage.
Albrecht's 11 three-hit games were the most by a Boilermaker since 2010 while making him just the fourth Purdue player since 2001 with three or more hits in at least 10 games. He also enjoyed a career-best 25-game on-base streak as one of six Boilermakers with a streak of at least 20 games this season.
Albrecht follows in the footsteps of former teammate Ben Nisle, who was recognized as an All-Midwest Region outfielder last season after enjoying a 1.000 OPS season. Prior to Nisle, Purdue had not had an All-Region honoree since the 2012 Big Ten Championship team produced four.