NORMAN – Oklahoma baseball redshirt freshman pitcher and infielder Cade Horton, who exploded into the national consciousness with his postseason pitching performances, was recognized with Freshman All-America honors by Baseball America and D1Baseball.
Horton was a first-team pitcher selection by Baseball America and a first-team utility player selection by D1Baseball.
A Norman, Okla., product, Horton went 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA in 14 pitching appearances and 11 starts on the mound. He registered 64 strikeouts and only 15 walks over 53.2 innings. He made 25 starts at third base, four at shortstop and 11 as designated hitter, batting .234 with six doubles, two triples, a home run, 17 RBIs and 28 runs scored in 145 at bats. He was also 8 for 9 in stolen bases.
Horton made his collegiate pitching debut on March 29 against Oklahoma State, throwing one relief inning and earning the victory in OU's 7-6 win at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. His first start came on April 14 against Pacific when he struck out two batters and allowed one hit and two walks over 4.0 scoreless innings. In five postseason starts, beginning with the Big 12 Championship game win over Texas, Horton went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and notched 49 strikeouts against six walks in 31.0 innings, never allowing more than two runs or two walks in an outing.
The right-hander was at his best in the College World Series. In starts against Notre Dame and Ole Miss, Horton pitched 13.1 innings, striking out 24 batters and allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk. His best performance was in the MCWS Finals where he registered career highs of 13 strikeouts and 7.1 innings. In the NCAA Tournament (which also included starts at Florida and Virginia Tech), Horton allowed a .186 batting average and struck out 40 batters over 25.2 innings, posting a 2.81 ERA.
Horton is OU's first Freshman All-American since Jake Bennett and Peyton Graham in 2020 (by Collegiate Baseball News), and the first freshman recognized by Baseball America since Sheldon Neuse in 2014.