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CLEVELAND – For the first time ever, there is a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. Senior INF Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) was named MAC Player of the Year for second-straight season, the league announced on Tuesday. Rott also earned All-MAC First team and sophomore RHP Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) was named second team All-MAC.
Rott's second MAC Player of the Year award is Ohio's fourth. Rott took home the honor in 2018, while Mitch Longo (2015) and Marc Krauss (2009) also won the award. He gives the Bobcats eight All-MAC First Team selections over the last five seasons.
Rott – a sport management major - leads the Bobcats in batting average (.377), hits (72), doubles (17), home runs (10), RBI (45), slugging percentage (.634) and on-base percentage (.457). His .377 batting average in No. 40 in the nation and second in the MAC. Rott was second in the league in slugging percentage and tied for second in home runs.
In conference play, Rott hit an impressive .423 and had a slugging percentage of .711, both good for second in the league. Rott's MAC on-base percentage is the best in the league at .529.
Rott earned MAC Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in his career on May 20 after hitting two home runs for the Bobcats and had four RBI to clinch a spot in Avon on the final day of the season. Rott had a total of 12 RBI that week, including three in Ohio's series opening win over WMU and five in Ohio's midweek game against Marshall. He had an impressive slugging percentage of 1.000 and reached base in a .579 clip last week.
The Holmen, Wisconsin native now has 284 hits in his career, two behind the all-time leader in Ohio history, Jake Madsen.
Kutt IV – an environmental and plant biology major - made the All-MAC second team for the first time in his career. Kutt IV had a team best 3.13 ERA this season in 22 appearances and seven starts. Kutt IV tossed a team-high 74.2 innings and struck out a team-high 67 batters.
Kutt IV is eighth in the MAC in ERA at 3.13. During conference play, no one tossed more innings than Kutt IV with 62 and he was fourth in conference strike outs with 56. In Ohio's crucial last weekend, Kutt IV grabbed the series opening win after tossing 6.0 innings and then turned around and got the save to clinch a spot in Avon.
Ohio will open the MAC Tournament tomorrow against Kent State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Jordan Bischel, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Justin Kirby, OF, Kent State
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami
Player of the Year: Rudy Rott, 1B, Ohio
Pitcher of the Year: Drey Jameson, RHP, Ball State
Defensive Player of the Year: Chase Sebby, C, Ball State
2019 First Team All-MAC
C - Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Central Michigan
1B - Rudy Rott, Ohio
2B - Landon Stephens, Miami
SS - Zavier Warren, Central Michigan
3B - Kian O'Brien, Kent State
OF - Ben Carew, Kent State
OF - Blake Dunn, Western Michigan
OF - Jacob Crum, Central Michigan
SP - Drey Jameson, Ball State
SP - Pat Leatherman, Central Michigan
SP - John Baker, Ball State
SP - Sam Bachman, Miami
RP - Nick Floyd, Ball State
DH - Cole Andrews, Miami
At-Large — Michael Turner, C, Kent State
2019 Second Team All-MAC
C - Cal Elvers, Miami
1B - John Ricotta, Ball State
2B - William Baker, Ball State
SS - Drew Devine, Western Michigan
3B - Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan
OF - Brad Boss, Toledo
OF - Ross Messina, Ball State
OF - Cam Touchette, Kent State
SP - Cam Brown, Central Michigan
SP - Brady Miller, Western Michigan
SP - Edward Kutt IV, Ohio
SP - Jack Corbell, Miami
RP - Luke Albright, Kent State
DH - Alex Ronnebaum, Kent State
At-Large - Chase Sebby, C, Ball State
2019 All-Defensive Team
C- Chase Sebby, Ball State
1B- John Ricotta, Ball State
2B - Riley Minorik, Bowling Green
SS - Neil Lambert, Bowling Green
3B - Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan
OF - Ben Carew, Kent State
OF - Jake Wilson, Bowling Green
OF - Jacob Crum, Central Michigan
P - John Matthews, Kent State
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