The  baseball team had two players named to the All-University Athletic Association Conference Team on May 8, highlighted by Rookie of the Year honors for shortstop Nick Falkson ’18.

Falkson earned the Rookie of the Year honors by being named to the Second Team All-UAA squad, one of four first-years to be named to the team. 

New York University freshman pitcher Matthew Millus and University of Rochester freshman infielder Tyler Schmidt were also named to a spot on the All-UAA Second Team.

Falkson claimed the starting role at shortstop from the start of the season and went on to play in all 33 games this year. 

The rookie led the team in most major offensive categories, posting a .373 batting average, a .453 slugging percentage and a .548 on base percentage. 

Falkson posted a season-best and team-high 16 game hitting streak to begin the season that earned him All-UAA Tournament honors in early March.

Falkson posted his best line in a 12-10 loss to Emory University on March 11, going 4-for-5 with a double and a walk while scoring a pair of runs. 

He spent the majority of the year hitting in the number two spot, finishing second in runs scored (21) to outfielder Liam O’Connor ’16. 

O’Connor, the Judges’ leadoff hitter, was the only other member of the squad to appear in all 33 games, scoring 24 runs and collecting 44 hits.

Falkson also finished the year with a .921 fielding percentage and helped convert 21 of the Judges’ 28 double plays on the season. He tied for second on the team by swiping three bases and smashed a trio of homers during the year. 

The award is the second time in three years—and sixth since it was first given out in 2001—that the Judges have brought home Rookie of the Year honors

Pitcher Sean O’Neil ’18 was named to the All-UAA First Team, one of only three pitchers given the award. 

O’Neil, the only freshman on the All-UAA First Team, made nine appearances on the year and finished with a 5-2 record and a 2.18 ERA. 

His 57.2 innings and 34 strikeouts both led the squad, and O’Neil finished the year surrendering just 20 runs and 16 walks.

O’Neil was twice named UAA Pitcher of the Week, including after a complete-game four-hitter against NYU on Mar. 29. O’Neil tossed four complete games during the season, one behind pitcher Sam Miller’s ’16 five.

O'Neill also led the team in strikeouts, with a total of 34 on the year for the Judges. 

He also posted an incredibly low 2.18 ERA while pitching 57.2 innings, the most on the team.

He also fielded well the entire season, only making one error in nine games.

Both O'Neill and Falkson will look to continue to lead the Judges for the next three seasons on the offensive and pitching sides.  

The squad closed its year with a 4-3 loss to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Apr. 29, posting a 13-20 record overall and a 6-5 record on home turf.

—Avi Gold