UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State junior pitcher Steven Hill (Colleyville, Texas) has been named to the College Sports Madness Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Second Team. Hill is coming off a stellar 2011 season, as he was named Second Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten.
During 2011, Hill fired four complete games, which equals the total posted by every other Penn State pitcher since the beginning of the 2009 season. His year was highlighted by a pair of shutouts after he blanked Northwestern, 12-0, on April 9 before firing another gem against Minnesota during a 7-0 victory on May 13.
In his 15 starts last year, he posted a 6-5 record, including three wins during conference action. Hill held his opposition to three or fewer runs during 10 starts. Incredibly accurate, he averaged just 1.01 walks-per-nine innings, which stood as the 15th best rate in the nation. Overall, he issued just 12 free passes during the year.
Penn State opens its season on Feb. 17-19 when it travels to St. Petersburg, Fla. to participate in the Big Ten/Big EAST Baseball Challenge for the fifth-straight year.