Overholt Named Freshman All-American

Overholt Named Freshman All-American
Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team

June 5, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University closer Patrick Overholt was named to the 2003 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American Team on Thursday, ending a season that saw him become the single-season saves leader at Santa Clara.

The right-handed hurler from Sandy, Utah, becomes only the fifth Bronco in program history to earn such an accolade. He accumulated a 4-4 record with a 3.00 ERA and 10 saves during his rookie year, striking out 47 in only 48 innings of work that came in 29 appearances.

"Obviously if you look at his numbers Pat is very deserving of this award," said head coach Mark O'Brien. "It is a real credit to his mental makeup that he is able to do the things he did as a freshman. He was put in some tough situations and proved himself worthy of any accolade he might receive. His competitiveness and his pitching ability will help us win many games during his career at Santa Clara."

Overholt had two games in 2003 that defined his dominance. The first came early in the season at home against UC Irvine. He came in the came in the eighth inning and threw five full frames, leading the Broncos to a 5-4 win in 13 innings. He gave up only two hits while striking out four in those five innings.

The second game was the Broncos' 2-0 win over No. 3 Stanford at Sunken Diamond on April 29. He came in and threw the final frame, striking out two to preserve the shutout against one of the most potent offenses in the country. The win was also big as it gave O'Brien his 50th career win.

For the year, Overholt gave up only 16 earned runs and limited his opponents to a .228 batting average. His 10 saves tied Mike McDonald's record for the most saves in a single season and also moved him into a tie for fourth place on all-time saves list at SCU. He is tied for fourth with Mike Crudale who is currently a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.

His Freshman All-American selection is the second postseason honor he has earned, joining his second team All-West Coast Conference honor that he garnered following his inaugural season on the Mission Campus.