JaVon Shelby Named Preseason All-America
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky junior third baseman JaVon Shelby has been tabbed third-team preseason All-America by Louisville Slugger, it was announced by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Tuesday afternoon.
Shelby marks the fourth consecutive season UK has had a preseason All-America selection, since 1999. In 2014, righty Kyle Cody, a senior in 2015, was tabbed a preseason All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.
A native of Lexington, Ky., Shelby is coming off a dynamic 2015 season as UK’s second baseman, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitter, finished with a .312 average (63-for-202) with nine homers and 44 RBI as a sophomore in 2015. Shelby had a .525 slugging percentage and ranked ninth in the SEC with a .442 on-base percentage. Defensively, Shelby led all SEC second baseman for the second consecutive year in assists. As a freshman in 2014, Shelby earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors, hitting .250 with four homers and 21 RBI.
JaVon comes from a baseball family that includes his father John T., an 11-year MLB veteran and the first-base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, and his brother John, who belted 33 homers and drive in 131 runs during 2004-06 for the Wildcats. John earned All-SEC honors in 2006 after leading UK from a last-place finish in 2005 to the first SEC Championship in school history. Combined, the Shelby family has hit 46 home runs for the Kentucky program, driving in 196 runs. The youngest of the Shelby brothers, slugging outfielder Jaren, signed his National Letter of Intent with Kentucky in November and is regarded as one of the top 50 high school players available for the 2016 MLB Draft.
UK PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS (since 1999)
1999 – John Wilson, C
– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball
2007 – Collin Cowgill, OF
– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA
2007 – Sean Coughlin, C
– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA
2007 – Greg Dombrowski, RHSP
– NCBWA
2010 – Chris Bisson, 2B
– Baseball America
2013 – Austin Cousino, OF
– Baseball America, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA
2013 – Corey Littrell, LHSP
– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA
2013 – AJ Reed, UT
– NCBWA
2014 – AJ Reed, UT
– Baseball America, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game
2014 – Austin Cousino, OF
– Baseball America
2015 – Kyle Cody, RHSP
– Baseball America, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball
2016 – JaVon Shelby, 3B
– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball
