The University of Mississippi Athletics
Huisman, Shelton Tabbed as Honorable Mention Freshmen All-Americans
6/21/1999 | Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz.-- Two Ole Miss freshmen, Justin Huisman and Robert Shelton, were tabbed as honorable mention selections to the 1998 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American team, released Wednesday by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
The team was selected by the staff of Collegiate Baseball.
"This is a great honor for both Justin and Robert," said head coach Pat Harrison, who just completed his second year at the helm of the Rebels. "Both had outstanding freshmen seasons. They both made a smooth transition to the level of play and the pitching at the NCAA Division I level. We're obviously very excited about what the future has in store for both of them."
Huisman, a third baseman/pitcher, was the youngest of the three Huisman brothers on this year's team. He missed the Rebels' season-ending three-game series with LSU due to an injury but still appeared in 41 of the Rebels' 53 games, including making 36 starts with 22 of those coming at third base. Huisman hit .290 with four home runs and 27 RBIs and fielded at a .942 percentage, committing nine errors in 155 chances. His .942 fielding percentage ranked third among SEC third basemen.
As a pitcher, the native of Thornton, Ill., made 11 appearances out of the bullpen and was 1-4 with a 4.20 ERA and led the Rebels with three saves. He also fanned 17 in just 15 innings of work.
Shelton played in 43 games and made 34 starts as either a third baseman or designated hitter. He finished his first year at Ole Miss with a .325 average, including .414 with runners in scoring position, with five home runs and 21 RBIs. The former New Hope High School star highlighted his rookie campaign with a pair of game-winning home runs over the span of one week. He hit a two-out, pinch-hit grand slam home run to give Ole Miss a 10-6 win at then No. 4 Florida on April 12. He then followed with a three-run home run the following week to propel the Rebels to a 3-2 win over Vanderbilt on April 19.
The Rebels finished the year 30-23 and 13-15 in the SEC. The 30 wins and 13 conference wins is the most an Ole Miss team has posted since 1995.
