Spartan Brock Vradenburg Named Third-Team All-American
6/1/2023 2:28:00 PM | Baseball
MSU first baseman is Spartans’ first All-American since 2020.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's Brock Vradenburg was named to Collegiate Baseball's Third-Team All-America list, announced by the publication on Thursday.
Vradenburg garnered MSU's first All-America accolade since Mason Erla collected second team honors in 2020. Additionally, Vradenburg is the fifth Spartan player to earn All-American honors under head coach Jake Boss Jr., joining Jeff Holm (Third Team in 2011), Blaise Salter (Third Team in 2014), Dakota Mekkes (Third Team in 2015), and Erla (Second Team in 2020).
A junior first baseman coming to MSU from Pasadena, California, Vradenburg led MSU while ranking second in the B1G and 24th in the NCAA in batting average exactly a .400 average, becoming the first Spartan to hit .400 or better since 2002 and becoming the 28th member of MSU's ".400 Club." The Spartan first baseman is the first member of the club since 2002 when Brady Burrill (.414), Chris McCuiston (.404) and Bob Malek (.402) all hit over .400.
Vradenburg earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team accolades, after he led all first basemen in the tournament with a .455 average, going 5-for-11, with one double, finishing with six total bases and three RBI, posting a .545 slugging percentage and added two walks for a .571 on-base percentage.Â
The Spartan first baseman's award collection also includes being named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and the USBWA Dick Howser Trophy.
Vradenburg also was third in the B1G and 43rd in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.492), along with ranking fourth in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.721). Additionally, Vradenburg also ranked third in the B1G and 36th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.56), while also ranking fifth in the conference and 33rd in the country overall in hits (86). The Spartan first baseman was second in the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.213.Â
He also ranks fourth in the league and 34th in the nation in total bases (155). Vradenburg was also third in the B1G and 30th in the NCAA in RBI (69), while ranking second in the league and 41st in the country in RBI/game (1.26). He also was fifth in the B1G and 86th in the NCAA in runs (62), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (59). Vradenburg also led the B1G and ranked 24th in the NCAA in doubles (22), along with second in the league and 34th in the nation in doubles per game (0.40). The 22 doubles tied MSU's single-season doubles record, tying Blaise Salter (2014) & Chris McCuiston (2002) for the top spot.
With the 69 RBI, Vradenburg is ranked No. 2 on MSU's single-season RBI list, while the 13 HR ranks tied for eighth on the Spartans' single-season HR list, and the 86 hits ranks seventh on MSU's single-season hits listÂ
Vradenburg had a season-long and MSU season-best 41-game on-base streak (March 4 - May 16), which came after a seven-game streak to open the season was halted and finished with a five-game streak after the 41-game streak came to an end, finishing with reaching base in 53 of the 55 games, only not reaching base vs. Charleston (March 3) and Indiana (May 18).
Vradenburg was also sixth in the B1G in triples with four, ranking 70th in the nation and also third on the team, trailing teammates Mitch Jebb (7) and Casey Mayes (5), and just ahead of teammates Sam Busch and Dillon Kark (3).
Michigan State concluded the 2023 season with a 33-22 record, finishing eighth in the Big Ten Conference with a 12-12 league mark and qualifying for the B1G Tournament in Omaha, where the Spartans finished sixth. MSU's 33 wins are its most since 36 in 2016.Â
Â
Vradenburg garnered MSU's first All-America accolade since Mason Erla collected second team honors in 2020. Additionally, Vradenburg is the fifth Spartan player to earn All-American honors under head coach Jake Boss Jr., joining Jeff Holm (Third Team in 2011), Blaise Salter (Third Team in 2014), Dakota Mekkes (Third Team in 2015), and Erla (Second Team in 2020).
A junior first baseman coming to MSU from Pasadena, California, Vradenburg led MSU while ranking second in the B1G and 24th in the NCAA in batting average exactly a .400 average, becoming the first Spartan to hit .400 or better since 2002 and becoming the 28th member of MSU's ".400 Club." The Spartan first baseman is the first member of the club since 2002 when Brady Burrill (.414), Chris McCuiston (.404) and Bob Malek (.402) all hit over .400.
Vradenburg earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team accolades, after he led all first basemen in the tournament with a .455 average, going 5-for-11, with one double, finishing with six total bases and three RBI, posting a .545 slugging percentage and added two walks for a .571 on-base percentage.Â
The Spartan first baseman's award collection also includes being named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and the USBWA Dick Howser Trophy.
Vradenburg also was third in the B1G and 43rd in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.492), along with ranking fourth in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.721). Additionally, Vradenburg also ranked third in the B1G and 36th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.56), while also ranking fifth in the conference and 33rd in the country overall in hits (86). The Spartan first baseman was second in the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.213.Â
He also ranks fourth in the league and 34th in the nation in total bases (155). Vradenburg was also third in the B1G and 30th in the NCAA in RBI (69), while ranking second in the league and 41st in the country in RBI/game (1.26). He also was fifth in the B1G and 86th in the NCAA in runs (62), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (59). Vradenburg also led the B1G and ranked 24th in the NCAA in doubles (22), along with second in the league and 34th in the nation in doubles per game (0.40). The 22 doubles tied MSU's single-season doubles record, tying Blaise Salter (2014) & Chris McCuiston (2002) for the top spot.
With the 69 RBI, Vradenburg is ranked No. 2 on MSU's single-season RBI list, while the 13 HR ranks tied for eighth on the Spartans' single-season HR list, and the 86 hits ranks seventh on MSU's single-season hits listÂ
Vradenburg had a season-long and MSU season-best 41-game on-base streak (March 4 - May 16), which came after a seven-game streak to open the season was halted and finished with a five-game streak after the 41-game streak came to an end, finishing with reaching base in 53 of the 55 games, only not reaching base vs. Charleston (March 3) and Indiana (May 18).
Vradenburg was also sixth in the B1G in triples with four, ranking 70th in the nation and also third on the team, trailing teammates Mitch Jebb (7) and Casey Mayes (5), and just ahead of teammates Sam Busch and Dillon Kark (3).
Michigan State concluded the 2023 season with a 33-22 record, finishing eighth in the Big Ten Conference with a 12-12 league mark and qualifying for the B1G Tournament in Omaha, where the Spartans finished sixth. MSU's 33 wins are its most since 36 in 2016.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11