GREENSBORO, N.C. – Ole Miss baseball junior shortstop Grae Kessinger has been recognized once again. One day after winning the 2019 Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to the nation’s top shortstop, Kessinger was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-South Region First Team.
The junior out of Oxford, Mississippi, was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft with the 68th overall pick by the Houston Astros. He was named First Team All-SEC, as well as a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. He was also a finalist for the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, given to the state of Mississippi’s best college baseball player.
Kessinger, who was named the Rebels’ team MVP, led Ole Miss to a No. 12 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, a runner-up finish in the SEC Tournament and a run to the final game of the Fayetteville Super Regional.
Kessinger finished his junior season with a team-high .330 batting average. He scored 67 runs and drove in 50, while tallying 18 doubles and seven home runs. He was efficient at the plate as well, drawing 41 walks while striking out just 35 times in 270 at-bats. His .430 on-base percentage was second on the team. Additionally, Kessinger was 16-for-19 in stolen bases.
The Rebel shortstop was particularly proficient in SEC play, leading the conference with 51 hits against league competition. His .405 batting average and .472 on-base percentage were good for second during the conference season. He was also among the top 10 in the league in doubles, total bases, slugging percentage, RBI and stolen bases.
Kessinger has been outstanding in the field as well. In addition to numerous spectacular plays that have earned him spots on the SportsCenter Top 10 and the NCAA’s Plays of the Week, Kessinger made just nine errors with 97 putouts and 156 assists.
Kessinger is the 12th different Ole Miss player to earn a spot on the ABCA All-South Region team and the first Rebel shortstop since Zack Cozart was named All-Region in 2006 and 2007. He’s the first All-Region honoree for the Rebel baseball program since J.B. Woodman in 2016 and the first first-team honoree since Alex Yarbrough in 2012.
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