Eagles Add LSU Transfer Koeneman for 2011 Season
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman baseball team has added a powerful bat to its lineup, as LSU first baseman Kyle Koeneman (Seymour, Tenn.) has transferred to join the Eagles for the 2011 season, head coach Tom Griffin announced Monday.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman baseball team has added a powerful bat to its lineup, as LSU first baseman Kyle Koeneman (Seymour, Tenn.) has transferred to join the Eagles for the 2011 season, head coach Tom Griffin announced Monday.
Koeneman, a junior, comes to Mossy Creek after spending last season at LSU and the previous two years at perennial junior college power Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn.
"Kyle is an impact player to our program," Griffin said. "He has been successful at every stage of his baseball career to this point. Having played for Walters State for two years, he knows how to win and what it takes to be a winner. Our players are excited to have him and look forward to playing with him."
Koeneman saw limited action at LSU last season, going 2-for-5 at the plate with a double and a triple.
Prior to playing at LSU, Koeneman was one of the most highly regarded junior college players in the nation at Walters State. During his two years with the Senators, Koeneman broke the school record for most home runs in a career with 50, a record that had stood for 25 years.
Koeneman batted .381 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs during the 2009 season en route to being named Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Player of the Year and earning NJCAA All-American honors.
As a freshman in 2008, Koeneman burst onto the scene as he led the nation in home runs with 29, which was a Walters State single-season record, and helped guide the Senators to the JUCO World Series. He batted .415 on the year with 67 RBIs on his way to receiving first team All-American honors by Baseball America.
During high school, Koeneman was a standout at Seymour in Seymour, Tenn. He tallied 50 home runs for his career with the Eagles, including 18 as a freshman, which led the state. As a senior, Koeneman was named first team All-State.
Koeneman also had a successful season this summer for Amsterdam in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He batted .301 with six home runs and a team-high .612 slugging percentage to lead the Mohawks to the NYCBL championship. Koeneman earned the championship series' Bob Bellizzi Big Stick Award (Offensive MVP) and finished the playoffs with a .417 batting average and a slugging percentage of .750.
