June 17, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - One day after junior center fielder Kyle Hudson (Mattoon, Ill.) was named a third-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Hudson and senior designated hitter/right fielder Daniel Webb (Anna, Ill.) were named to the ABCA All-Mideast Region first team. The honors give Illinois seven ABCA All-Region selections over the past four seasons. The Illini were one of three teams to have two or more players listed on the All-Region first team as Michigan and Cincinnati both had three first-team honorees.

Hudson has now been named a first-team All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region selection and a third-team All-American after a record-setting junior season. He recently signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles after being selected in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He posted a stellar junior season in which he hit .398 and reached base at an amazing .498 clip, both of which led the Illini and ranked second in the Big Ten. Hudson also finished tied for the Big Ten walks lead and was second in stolen bases.

Hudson tied the Illinois school record with 40 stolen bases and scored 61 runs, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. He broke the Big Ten record for runs scored in a conference season with 40 and his 44 hits in Big Ten play rank second in Illinois history. He finishes his career with the second-best batting average in school history (.376) and the second-most stolen bases (66) despite playing just three seasons.

He finished fourth in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.75), sixth in total stolen bases (40) and 35th in on-base percentage (.498). He reached base safely in 50 of 53 games he played and had a hit in 42 of 53 games. Hudson became Illinois' third position player drafted in the fourth round or higher in the last four seasons and the fourth-highest drafted position player in school history when the Orioles selected him in the fourth round.

Webb's All-Region honor adds to his second-team All-Big Ten selection as a designated hitter after a senior campaign in which he hit .391, which was second on the Illinois team and seventh in the Big Ten. He was the third-toughest hitter to strike out in the nation (1 strikeout per 27.4 at bats) and hit .393 in Big Ten play, which was second-best among Illini, ninth in the Big Ten and the 11th-best mark in school history.

Webb hit an astonishing .506 in the month of April, racking up 13 multiple-hit games in 23 contests, driving in 28 runs and posting a .722 slugging percentage. He finished his career with the ninth-best batting average in school history (.360) and the third-best average in conference play in Illinois history (.363).