NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Recent graduate
Sam Lavin '24 of the St. Olaf College baseball team was named a Second Team All-American by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), as announced on Wednesday and Thursday.
Lavin capped a decorated senior campaign by becoming the second St. Olaf student-athlete to be recognized as an All-American on both listings in the same season, joining Andrew Schmiesing '08, who was a second-teamer on both lists in 2007. The Algonquin, Ill. native is the fourth Ole to be named an All-American by D3baseball.com and the eighth to be honored on the ABCA/Rawlings list (see lists below). Lavin was recognized as a utility player by D3baseball.com and a designated hitter by the ABCA.
The All-America accolades were the latest in a string of accolades for Lavin, who was picked as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Player of the Year, among other honors. He was also a D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-Region 9 honoree, as well as an All-MIAC selection, for the second season in a row.
In his final season as an Ole, Lavin put together one of the top two-way seasons in program history this spring. On the mound, he was 8-2 with two saves and a 3.14 ERA over 14 appearances (10 starts), striking out 93 batters and holding opponents to a .204 batting average in 63.0 innings of work. Offensively, Lavin started all 44 games for St. Olaf, hitting .379 (61-for-161) with a .467 on-base percentage and a .596 slugging percentage to go with 11 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 27 walks, six stolen bases, 43 runs scored, and 49 RBI.
Entering the NCAA Division III World Series, Lavin ranked in the top 20 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (11th, 13.29) and strikeouts (t-19th, 93), while also ranking in a tie for 31st in wins (8). On St. Olaf's single-season list, Lavin's season totals ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings, tied for fifth in wins (most since 2010), tied for sixth in opponent batting average, seventh in RBI (most since 2009), and ninth in at bats. Lavin concluded his career in the top 10 in program history in strikeouts per nine innings (2nd, 11.60), opponent batting average (3rd, .246), triples (5th, 12), games started (8th, 129), runs batted in (9th, 115), total bases (9th, 250), and strikeouts (10th, 186).
St. Olaf's All-Time D3baseball.com All-Americans (since 2007)
| Year |
Name |
Team |
Position |
| 2024 |
Sam Lavin |
Second Team |
Utility |
| 2014 |
Sam Maus |
Honorable Mention |
Third Base |
| 2011 |
Ben Hughes |
Honorable Mention |
Pitcher |
| 2007 |
Andrew Schmiesing |
Second Team |
Outfield |
St. Olaf's All-Time ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans (since 1949)
| Year |
Name |
Team |
Position |
| 2024 |
Sam Lavin |
Second Team |
Designated Hitter |
| 2007 |
Andrew Schmiesing |
Second Team |
Outfielder |
| 2006 |
Todd Mathison |
Third Team |
Pitcher |
| 2000 |
Brian Sprout |
First Team |
Third Base |
| 1997 |
Collin Brackeen |
Third Team |
Pitcher |
| 1992 |
Joel Magrane |
Third Team |
Outfielder |
| 1990 |
Bob Carlson |
Third Team |
Pitcher |
| 1989 |
Tom Muller |
Second Team |
Outfielder |
