Rutgers Baseball shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the conference, according to a release today.
Kuroda-Grauer becomes the first Scarlet Knight to win the award in program history, and the first to win an individual conference award since Pat Kivlehan's Big East Player of the Year award in 2012.
"We are very excited to see Josh be recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Year," Rutgers head coach Steve Owens said in a release. "He is a tremendous all-around player and impacted every game with his hitting, defense and baserunning. We are proud of his many accomplishments on the field this year and equally impressed with how great of a person he is to be around every day."
Two other Rutgers players were also honored by the conference. Starting pitcher Justin Sinibaldi was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team, and pitcher Sonny Fauci was named the Scarlet Knights' recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Nicknamed "JKG", Kuroda-Grauer's junior season was one for the ages. His 95 hits led the entire country, and his .428 batting average finished third in the country - trailing only Oregon State's Travis Bazzana and Georgia phenom Charlie Condon - and led the Big Ten. He also ranked third in the Big Ten with a .492 on-base percentage, and his 1.082 OPS (on-base plus slugging) ranked sixth.
His 24 stolen bases were also good for second in the conference, using his speed to steal bases with an 89% conversion rate. Kuroda-Grauer's defense at shortstop was once again excellent as part of a Scarlet Knights infield that provided highlight-reel plays all season long.
The Franklin High School product was also rewarded for his efforts nationally, being named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award given to the best player in the country, a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award given to the top shortstop in the country, and a semifinalist for the for the Dick Howser Trophy, the NCBWA's National Player of the Year award.
Kuroda-Grauer's rise has also given him notoriety on the MLB Draft circuits, as he has become a consensus top-five round pick thanks to his excellent bat-on-ball skills and athleticism in the infield. MLB.com ranks him as the 124th-best prospect in the draft.
Even though the Scarlet Knights had a down year on the field, they still housed one of the Big Ten's best and will look to go back to form under Owens and staff in 2025.
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