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Today is the day that the Big Ten recognizes the best around the conference and the Gophers are taking home quite a bit of accolades. But one Golden Gopher deserves his own post to recognize just how valuable he was to the team’s 2018 success.
Patrick Fredrickson, a true freshman, earned himself the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year award along with earning the conference’s Freshman of the Year and being named first team All Big Ten.
Congrats to @patfredrickson9 on earning #B1G Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, and All-Freshman Team honors.https://t.co/Ol8nvwGvcc pic.twitter.com/U0pSBnaBJg
— Minnesota Baseball (@GopherBaseball) May 22, 2018
Fredrickson answered the team’s biggest question mark and did so in a huge way. Finding starting pitching to go along with Reggie Meyer was that question and Fredrickson just went out and dominated all season. The 6’6” rookie began the year coming out of the bullpen, quickly he earned himself a couple of starts and by the second series of the Big Ten season he had established himself as the team’s Saturday starter. The numbers are outstanding. 12 starts and 12 team wins, Fredrickson factored into the decision eight times to establish his 8-0 record. His 8 wins and 1.80 ERA both lead the Big Ten for starters.
- Overall stats - 8-0, 1.80 ERA, 62 Ks
- Stats just as a starter - 8-0, 1.38 ERA, 53 Ks
He may not have been the team’s MVP, but Fredrickson’s leap from freshman who may help to the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year is very likely the difference between finishing a few games out of first place to winning the program’s 24th regular season Big Ten Championship.
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