Northwestern University Athletics
Jeremy Kurella Earns All-America in Baseball
5/26/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 26, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern baseball player Jeremy Kurella (Dunedin, Fla./Dunedin) was named to the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division 1 All-America Third Team for the 2000 season. The teams, which are selected by the staff of Collegiate Baseball, were announced Friday, May 26.
Kurella, a junior shortstop, was one of two shortstops named to the third team. He was joined by Jeff Keppinger from Georgia. The first-team All-America shortstop was Tim Hummel of Old Dominion, while Steve Holm of Oral Roberts and Darren Fenster of Rutgers were second-team selections.
Kurella enjoyed one of the best seasons in Northwestern history in 2000. Leading off in all of NU's 57 games, he tied the school record for hits with 81 and shattered the single-season stolen base mark with 41. Kurella also led the team with 50 runs scored, five triples, 118 total bases and 23 multiple-hit games. Overall, he hit .345 with four home runs and 37 runs batted in, and finished second on the team with 15 doubles.
Kurella both began and ended the season strongly. He opened the 2000 campaign with a 20-game hitting streak, highlighted when he had the Wildcats' only five-hit performance of the season against Northeastern on March 23. Kurella then ended the season with a 13-game hit streak. That streak will carry over to next year if Kurella does not leave Northwestern early -- he is expected to be a high pick in the Major League Baseball draft this June.
Kurella has been a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the last two years after being the 1998 Big Ten Rookie of the Year. He was also a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America in 1998.
Overall, the Northwestern baseball team went 30-27 in 2000, recording its most wins since 1995. In addition, the Wildcats advanced to the Big Ten Championships for the first time since 1995 and the third time in the 13-year tenure of head coach Paul Stevens.
