Culpepper Earns D1Baseball Second Team All-American Recognition
Jun 26, 2024 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State junior shortstop Kaelen Culpepper added to his impressive resume Wednesday morning, as he was named to the D1Baseball All-American Second Team.
Culpepper, a native of Memphis, Tenn., becomes the first position player in school history to earn D1Baseball All-American status, while he is the second Wildcat recognized in the Pete Hughes era. He was one of seven players to represent the Big 12 Conference on the D1Baseball All-America teams.
In the opening game of the NCAA Tournament, Culpepper became the fourth player in K-State history to hit for the cycle, joining Ross Kivett (2014), Heath Schesser (1997), and Craig Wilson (1992). He tripled in the second, singled in the sixth, doubled in the seventh, and homered in his fifth at-bat, to complete the cycle and help K-State topple No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech, 19-4.
Culpepper finished as the top slugger during the Wildcats' first run in the NCAA Tournament since 2013. He hit .474 (9-for-19) in five games with a .522 on-base percentage and an incredible 1.053 slugging percentage that included three doubles, one triple and two home runs with 10 RBI.
The award marks the program's 39th postseason All-America honor and is the first of Culpepper's career. Hughes has now overseen nine All-Americans, including three in the last four years.
How to follow the 'Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team's social media channels on Facebook, X formally known as Twitter and Instagram.
Culpepper, a native of Memphis, Tenn., becomes the first position player in school history to earn D1Baseball All-American status, while he is the second Wildcat recognized in the Pete Hughes era. He was one of seven players to represent the Big 12 Conference on the D1Baseball All-America teams.
🇺🇸𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧🇺🇸#KStateBSB x @thechosen1kc pic.twitter.com/Pxn8sz45tT
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) June 26, 2024
Projected as the No. 32 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, Culpepper finished as one of the Big 12's top offensive producers this season. The All-Big 12 Second Team selection ranked among the league's top-10 in three offensive categories: fifth in runs batted in (59) and sixth in hits (80), while leading in triples (6).
In the opening game of the NCAA Tournament, Culpepper became the fourth player in K-State history to hit for the cycle, joining Ross Kivett (2014), Heath Schesser (1997), and Craig Wilson (1992). He tripled in the second, singled in the sixth, doubled in the seventh, and homered in his fifth at-bat, to complete the cycle and help K-State topple No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech, 19-4.
Culpepper finished as the top slugger during the Wildcats' first run in the NCAA Tournament since 2013. He hit .474 (9-for-19) in five games with a .522 on-base percentage and an incredible 1.053 slugging percentage that included three doubles, one triple and two home runs with 10 RBI.
The award marks the program's 39th postseason All-America honor and is the first of Culpepper's career. Hughes has now overseen nine All-Americans, including three in the last four years.
How to follow the 'Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team's social media channels on Facebook, X formally known as Twitter and Instagram.
– kstatesports.com –
Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation's best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America's No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).
Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation's best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America's No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).
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