Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State sophomore standout Payton Tolle has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, presented annually to college baseball's best two-way player.
The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. Five finalists will be named on May 30, and the award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year.
Tolle's name is littered across the American Athletic Conference individual leaderboards in both pitching and hitting categories. As Wichita State's Saturday starter, he has gone 9-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 78.2 innings, the most wins and innings pitched in the conference. His 88 strikeouts rank third and his 3.78 ERA is fourth, all while holding opponents to a .228 batting average. Eight of his 13 appearances qualify as quality starts, and four times the left-hander has struck out 10 or more batters.
Offensively, Tolle is hitting .321 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI, including home runs in all three games of this past weekend's series against South Florida. He has produced 19 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games this season, highlighted by a five-hit, six-RBI day against Oakland on March 4.
Tolle is the lone representative from the American Athletic Conference on the list of semifinalists.
SEMIFINALISTS
- Carson Benge, Freshman, Oklahoma State, Big 12
- Jac Caglianone, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
- Jackson Finley, Sophomore, Georgia Tech, ACC
- TJ Fondtain, Junior, San Diego State, Mountain West
- Caden Grice, Junior, Clemson, ACC
- Jordan Hamberg, Junior, Coppin State, Northeast
- Ryan Ignoffo, Senior, Eastern Illinois, Ohio Valley
- Jay Luikart, Junior, Wright State, Horizon
- Nolan McLean, Junior, Oklahoma State, Big 12
- Austin Smith, Sophomore, San Diego, West Coast
- Payton Tolle, Sophomore, Wichita State, American
- Mitch Voit, Freshman, Michigan, Big Ten