Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. -- Junior infielder Brock Rodden has been named a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, the publication announced Thursday. Rodden is the first Wichita State player to be selected as an All-American since Alec Bohm in 2018.
Rodden authored a spectacular 2023 season as Wichita State's everyday second baseman, slashing .371/.474/.701 to lead the conference in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The switch-hitter hammered 18 doubles, two triples and 17 home runs, good for 155 total bases that tied for the top mark in the AAC. His .371 batting average, 62 runs scored and 64 RBI all finished second on the circuit. Rodden started all 55 games for the Shockers, leading the team with 26 multi-hit games and tying for the team lead with 18 multi-RBI games. Rodden was recognized as the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection.
The native of Oktaha, Oklahoma produced a pair of two-homer games (UMass on 3/25, Kansas State on 4/18) and compiled Wichita State's longest hitting streak of the season at 18 games. He also added 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts in addition to a keen batting eye that produced 39 walks to only 26 strikeouts.
Rodden took his game to another level down the stretch. Over the final three weeks of the season, Rodden hit .556 (20-for-36) with four doubles and four home runs, notching three three-hit games and a career-best four hits against South Florida on May 13.
Rodden is expected to be a high pick in July's MLB Draft. He returned to Wichita State in 2023 after he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, one of just three players in the top 10 rounds who did not sign. In two seasons as a Shocker, Rodden compiled a .355 batting average, 31 doubles, four triples, 34 home runs and 112 RBI.