Nebraska’s Spencer Scwellenbach wins two-way player award
LINCOLN, Neb. (BVM) — The 2021 college baseball season was a successful one for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who captured their first Big Ten title since 2017 and put up a fight with No. 1-ranked Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament before bowing out in the regional final. No one played a bigger role in the Huskers’ success than Big Ten Player of the Year Spencer Scwellenbach, who on Wednesday was named the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.
The 6-foot, 200-pound junior right-handed pitcher/infielder made a major impact on the mound, at the plate and in the field for Nebraska this spring, leading the Big 10 with 10 saves and ranking in the conference’s top 10 in runs (43), RBIs (40) and walks (30) while committing just four errors in 186 chances. The Saginaw, Mich., native collected 19 extra-base hits in 48 games, including six home runs, and he reached base at a solid clip of .403 while starting every game at shortstop. On the mound, Scwellenbach posted a sparkling 0.57 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
“In the end, what set Spencer apart was not only his ability to have an impact in every game for the Cornhuskers, but his leadership in helping guide Nebraska to the top of the Big Ten and a berth in the NCAA postseason,” John Olerud Award selection committee chairman George Watson said in a press release. “We are excited to see what the future holds for him and are proud to have him represent the John Olerud Award.”
Scwellenbach is the first Husker to win the award, which is named for the former Washington State great who excelled as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher for the Cougars in the 1980s before going on to play 17 years in the majors where he would become a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove-winner and a two-time World Series champion.
A major-league career could also be in Scwellenbach’s future. The MLB First-Year Player Draft is less than a month away (July 11-13) and Nebraska’s two-way star is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 52 overall prospect.
