Crossroads League Places Three on All-American Team
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KANSAS CITY – A trio of 2017 All-Crossroads League standouts were named NAIA Baseball Honorable Mention All-Americans on Tuesday, as Taylor’s Jared Adkins and Nathan Targgart joined Marian’s Matt Burleton on the list.
Adkins and Targgart anchored TU’s high-powered lineup throughout the season, helping the Trojans rank No. 5 in the NAIA with 8.1 runs and 2.5 doubles per game. Adkins added the All-American honor to his CL Player-of-the-Year award, after hitting .333 with 74 runs, 16 homers, 35 extra-base hits and 33 steals in 35 tries while playing second base. Targgart batted .410 with 26 doubles, 10 homers and 63 runs batted in, closing the year ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in doubles and No. 6 with 1.7 hits per game.
Burleton anchored the MU staff by leading the NAIA with a 1.17 earned-run average on the mound for the Knights. The Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year also rated among the nation’s toughest to hit, ranking No. 2 with a .178 average against and ended with an 8-2 record and 91 strikeouts to just 15 walks over 84.2 innings of work.