Recknagel, VanBuskirk Earn NCAA All-Regional Honors
6/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ATLANTA, Ga. -- University of Michigan baseball sophomores 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) and OF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) were both named to the all-tournament team at the 2006 NCAA Atlanta Regional hosted by regional champs Georgia Tech.
Recknagel, who led the Wolverines and placed third in the overall Big Ten batting race with a .372 (81-for-218) average, and VanBuskirk each hit .364 (4-for-11) in the three games the Wolverines (43-21) played while finishing third in the Atlanta regional for the second straight year.
Recknagel reached base in all three regional games and had a pair of multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 with a three-run double in the 11-1 Michigan win over Stetson and batting 2-for-3 with a home run and a double and getting hit by pitches twice in the 5-4 loss to Vanderbilt that closed out the season. Recknagel led the Wolverines in 2006 with 27 multi-hit games.
VanBuskirk, who had hits in eight of his last nine games, had a pair of two-hit games in the regional tournament. He drove in the tying run at 1-1 in the eventual 11-1 win over Stetson and he had a double and a single and scored U-M's fourth run in the 5-4 loss to Vanderbilt.
VanBuskirk also had a great diving catch with the bases loaded in the final game that allowed one run as a sacrifice fly but saved a potential big-inning to keep the Wolverines in the game.
For Recknagel, the second-team All-Big Ten first baseman, it was his second straight all-tournament selection as he was also the all-tourney pick in the Big Ten Tournament hosted by the Wolverines in Ray Fisher Stadium. Recknagel hit .437 (14-for-32) in eight postseason games in 2006 with three doubles, three homers and eight RBI.
For the season Recknagel led U-M in hits (81), doubles (19), total bases (124), slugging percentage (.569) and on-base percentage (.448). On defense Recknagel had a .992 fielding percentage with 349 putouts and just three errors.
VanBuskirk hit .289 (58-for-201) for the season with 10 doubles and 35 RBI.
Top-seeded Georgia Tech, eighth seed in the nation, captured the Atlanta Regional title by beating second seed Vanderbilt 8-4 in Sunday's (June 4) championship contest to advance to Super Regional action against the College of Charleston, winner of the Lexington, Ky., Regional.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
