Somers, Smith named 2022 Senior CLASS Award All-Americans

EUGENE – Oregon closer Kolby Somers and left fielder Tanner Smith were both named 2022 Senior CLASS Award® Second Team All-Americans today. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
 
Smith, from Newport Beach, Calif., graduated after the winter term with a 3.22 GPA in political science. He finished the season batting .317 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI and 58 runs scored while starting all 61 games in left field. He led the team in hits, setting a school record with 85, while also leading the team in runs scored with the second most in school history. He set a new school record in at-bats, while tying the record for most multiple-hit games (27) in a season at Oregon. His 11 homers tied for the ninth most in a single-season in Ducks' history.
 
Smith owns the career record for most runs scored in school history (155), while also setting the school record for consecutive starts (163). He ended the season ranked in Oregon's career top 10 in 11 different categories. In addition to being Oregon's runs king, he ranks second in hits, doubles and multiple-hit games, third in at-bats, fourth in games started and base on balls, fifth in RBI, ninth in home runs and 10th in multiple-RBI games and hit-by-pitches.
 
Last season, he earned third-team Collegiate Baseball All-America honors in 2021, finishing last season batting .324 with five home runs and 36 RBI while batting leadoff for the Ducks. He had a Pac-12-best 24 doubles, which set a new Oregon single-season record for two-baggers, while reaching base at a .417 clip and slugging .533. The Ducks' left fielder ranked third among all Pac-12 players with 33 extra-base hits. His 24 doubles ranked fifth nationally and his 0.44 doubles per game were the best in the Pac-12 and 12th overall in the country. Smith also tripled four times, which was good for second in the Pac-12 and 28th nationally.
 
Smith earned a spot on the 2021 Dean's List and is a leader off the field taking part in O Heroes, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Team Impact.
 
Somers, from Hillsboro, Ore. graduated with a degree in general social science – business and is working on his master's in sports product management. He claimed first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors each of the last two seasons and was a NCBWA All-American in 2021. This season, Somers claimed all-league honors after finishing 5-3 with nine saves and a 3.27 ERA. He fanned 44 batters in 33.0 innings and held opposing hitters to a .248 average. He finished the season seventh all-time in single-season saves at Oregon and eight in games finished.
 
During his five-year career, Somers ranked in the top five in saves, appearances and games finished. His 21 saves are second all-time, behind Jimmie Sherfy, while his 87 appearances rank only behind Garrett Cleavinger. His 40 games finished are the third most in school history behind Sherfy and Cleavinger.
 
Somers was dominant closing out games for the Ducks in 2021. The lefty finished the season with a 2-2 record and a 3.08 ERA with 11 saves. He fanned 37 in 26.1 innings pitched while holding opposing hitters to a .149 batting average. He ranked third in the Pac-12 in saves, as well as ranking sixth all-time in single-season saves at Oregon. His seven saves in conference games were the second most in the league, one behind the leader.
 
Somers has been involved with Team Impact, O Heroes and the Miracle League.
 
2022 Senior CLASS Award Baseball First Team All-Americans
Austin Peterson, UConn
Christian Policelli, Navy
RJ Schreck, Duke
Mitchell Verburg, Oregon State
Alex Williams, Stanford
 
2022 Senior CLASS Award Baseball Second Team All-Americans
Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
Jake Kuchmaner, East Carolina
Tanner Smith, Oregon
Kolby Somers, Oregon
Tyler Thomas, Baylor