By DAVID FORSTROM
BYU first baseman David Jensen was named to the 1999 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team chosen by Collegiate Baseball Magazine.
Just as he started the season with a bang as the WAC Player of the Week, Jensen finished even stronger as he hit clutch doubles to lead BYU to victory over their rival Utah in their season finale.
Jensen was the only player from the Western Athletic Conference to be named to the Freshman All-America main team. His performance was highlighted by his WAC-leading 23 doubles, even after missing three weeks of the season in April.
Jensen said his batting went through phases throughout his first college season.
“I started out really strong and it felt good, but I got into a slump where I just couldn’t pick the ball up,” Jensen said. “Towards the end there, I was seeing the ball really good and instead of chasing bad pitches, I was making solid contact.”
And make solid contact he did.
The 6-foot-3-inch freshman hit .368 for the season, knocked in 35 runs, hit six homers and carried a remarkable .603 slugging percentage.
BYU head coach Gary Pullins said Jensen contributed heavily to the Cougars’ season.
“Jensen’s bat has been a real boost at times,” Pullins said. “He’s one of our best hitting first basemen since Wally Joyner. We can count on him to go up there and hit the ball hard somewhere.”
Jensen prepped at Green Valley High in Henderson, Nevada, where he led the team in batting average, home runs and RBIs. Upon finishing his senior year in high school, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.
Other Cougars named to the Freshman All-American squad in the past include pitcher Jeff Stone and outfielder Spencer Oborn in 1997 and pitcher Brett McDermaid in 1996.
Stone, who had an 11-1 record, will return from a mission to South Korea and join Jensen next season.
With Jensen’s bat and Stone’s arm, baseball in the year 2000 looks promising for BYU.
