CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – First year outfielder Chris Newell (Newtown Square, Pa.) was named the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National co-Freshman of the Year on Tuesday (June 1). Classmate Max Cotier (New Milford, Conn.) joined him on the publication’s Freshman All-America Team.
Last week, Newell became first Virginia freshman to garner All-America honors since Danny Hultzen in 2009 after being added to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s second team. Newell is the first Virginia freshman ever to be recognized as the National Freshman of the Year.
Virginia has landed a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in each of the last three seasons and the multiple selections mark the first time since 2015 when Adam Haseley and Pavin Smith were honored by CBN. Under head coach Brian O’Connor, a total of 22 different players have been bestowed Freshman All-American honors from various publications.
The 2020 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-America teams reflect all games played before the season was stopped in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Newell was the Cavaliers everyday centerfielder his first year on grounds and led the team with a .407 batting average (24-for-59) and 20 RBI. Over his final 13 games, he went 23-for-48 (.479) at the plate with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 20 RBI. Newell ranked in the top-five in the ACC in five different categories – RBI (T-2nd), on-base percentage (2nd), slugging percentage (3rd), runs (T-3rd), total bases (T-4th), stolen bases (T-5th).
Cotier started and batted second in all 18 games for the Cavaliers. He batted .338 with three doubles, four triples a home run and 15 RBI. His four triples were tied for the most in the nation and were the most in the ACC. On March 10 against UMass Lowell, Cotier tied a school record by scoring five times, one of 11 players in UVA history cross the plate five times in a game. He totaled 21 runs scored, second on the team behind Zack Gelof and third most amongst his ACC cohorts.