AJ Wirnsberger Bio
12/10/2008 5:15:00 AM | General
JUNIOR (2009): Was a Preseason First Team All-Southern Conference...Third Team Preseason All-America by Collegiate Baseball...A Collegiate Baseball Insider Honorable Mention All-America...Earned SoCon 'Player of the Week' honors for the week of May 18 after going 9-of-13 with five runs, eight RBI, a double and three home runs in the Wofford series...Added one hit in the championship game against Elon, helping lead Georgia Southern to its first SoCon Championship since 2002...Ended the season on a 17-game hitting streak - a career-high - which was snapped in the final game of the year against Utah...Launched 13 home runs which marks the team-lead in returning players for 2010 and ranked him 164th nationally...Hit two home runs in a game on three different occasions, including game three at Samford on May 10...Posted a team-best seven RBI at Samford off two home runs...Went 4-of-9 in Samford series, driving in eight RBI and matching career-high of two home runs...Enters senior campaign tying for tenth in Georgia Southern baseball history with 38 career home runs...Hit .323 for the campaign, driving in 58 runs on 63 hits and scoring 44 times...Averaged 1.07 runs batted in per game to rank him 152nd nationally...Match a career-high four runs scored against Furman in the SoCon Tournament...Posted season-high three hits in game 1 versus Furman, including two home runs...Finished weekend series 5-of-13...Against #8 Georgia Tech, was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and a solo home run...Had a series of 99 consecutive starts snapped in College of Charleston series...Came off the bench in game 3 against Charleston, going 2-for-2 with two-run long ball (pinch-hit) and RBI single...Finished season with .574 slugging percentage and .394 on base percentage.
SOPHOMORE (2008): Second Team All-Southern Conference... one of 19 Eagles all-time to record 60 runs scored/RBI in a season... Georgia Southern and Southern Conference record holder hitting three grand slams in a season... currently tied for second in the SoCon for career grand slams (3)... helped the Eagles set a NCAA record accounting for one of the 14 home runs hit during game two of the Columbia series... one of three Eagles to start all 58 games last year... ranked 90th nationally in runs scored, 13th in home runs, 22nd in RBI per game and 71st in slugging percentage (.668)... ranked tied for 10th among the GS season home run leaders... batted .357 (5-for-14) in the Boston College series with four RBI... extended hitting streak to eight games (carried over from 2007)... three RBI came in finale victory... finished the Towson series 5-for-14 (.357) with four runs, seven RBI, one double and two home runs... first career grand slam came in the first inning of game two, recording five RBI that game... hit a 2-run homer in game three... 3-for-10 at the Keith LeClair Classic... tied a then career-high with three runs scored against #15 Michigan... against USC Upstate went 2-for-7 with four runs scored... again matched career-high with three runs scored in finale... versus Columbia went 7-for-15 at the plate with seven runs scored, including twice matching his personal-high of three runs scored... seven RBI, including four in the finale, and two homers... finished Western Carolina series 4-for-12 with four runs scored and six RBI... nailed two home runs, including a grand slam in the opener... matched career-high of three runs scored in finale... 4-for-14 during the Charleston series (four runs scored, including three in the opener, three RBI, one double, one home run and two stolen bases)... 2-for-4 at North Florida... two home runs against Kennesaw State, his second career two-home run game (two runs scored and three RBI) to extend his hitting streak to 13 games... however, hitting streak came to an end in game one of Elon series... two hits in the Appalachian State series including a solo HR... at Davidson went 6-for-14... four hits, four runs scored and season-high six RBI during game two in addition to his double and third career 2-home run game... two hits (including a home run), two runs scored and RBI versus North Florida... hit a double and one run scored at Kennesaw State... went 4-for-13 in the Wofford series with four runs scored and eight RBI, including four driven in during the series opener... one triple and hit a home run in each game of series... 3-for-4 against Jacksonville with two runs scored, three RBI, two doubles and two walks... 7-for-14 against The Citadel (four runs scored and five RBI)... hit a double and home run in game two... two RBI in games two and three... nine-game hitting streak came to an end against Mercer... recorded two consecutive two home run games in the UNC Greensboro series... 5-for-13 with five runs scored and nine RBI, including four RBI in opener and five in game two (grand slam)... two hits at Jacksonville... 4-for-13 at Furman with two RBI and matched career-high of four hits in game two... 4-for-14 in the SoCon Tournament with four runs and three RBI... all hits, runs and RBI came against UNC Greensboro... batted nearly identical against left-handed (.329) and right-handed (.324) pitching... 5-for-15 with the bases loaded, including three grand slams... 32 RBI came with two outs... .609 with a runner on third base and less than two outs... batted .347 in March with 28 runs and 26 RBI in 19 games played... 24 RBI in 19 games during the month of April, posting a .714 slugging percentage... came on in May to hit .391 with 11 runs, 17 RBI and five homers... .804 slugging percentage the final month and a .429 on-base percentage... FRESHMAN (2007): One of the most versatile players on the roster, seeing action at every infield position, in the outfield and as designated hitter... batted over .400 during the first month of the season... team-leading 16 hit by pitches... knocked 14 doubles, scored 39 runs and drove in 38... team-leading three walks in the Hawai'i series, recording seven putouts... tied a Georgia Southern record hitting three doubles in the Georgia Tech finale, only his fifth collegiate game... finished the two-game series 6-for-7 (including his first collegiate homer in the opener and season-high four hits in game two) with five runs scored and three RBI... no errors in 19 opportunities and was named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll... 3-for-8 with three runs scored in the two-game swing through Jacksonville... 18 putouts with no errors and twice was hit by a pitch... finished the New Jersey Tech series 4-for-14 with four runs and six RBI... 20 errorless chances at first base... batted .300 at the Wiregrass Classic in his home state of Alabama, recording three RBI... four runs and three RBI at the Eagle Invitational... did not commit an error in 30 chances... walked twice versus Kennesaw State... 3-for-11 at Coastal Carolina Tournament... hit a triple and scored a run against Ball State... RBI in the Bethune-Cookman win... scored three runs with two RBI against Lipscomb... 4-for-13 in the Furman series, including a 2-run double... 35 putouts and two assists while playing first and second base at UNC Greensboro... walked twice in the Charleston series and scored four runs... delivered a career-high seven RBI in the Wofford finale, also tying his career-high of four hits... finished the series 5-for-9 (two doubles, one home run) with nine RBI and two runs scored... batted .333 against Davidson... recorded his first-ever multi-home run game at The Citadel, hitting two solo homers in the finale... recorded three runs and three RBI that weekend against the Bulldogs... two hits at Western Carolina... batted .300 during the SoCon Tournament, hitting safely in all three games... successful 13-of-20 times with a runner on third base and less than two outs... 17 RBI came with two outs... HIGH SCHOOL: A 2005 PUMA High School All-America and CABA All-America pick in '01... put up some impressive career numbers for coach John Cameron.... owned a .398 batting average with 39 doubles, 14 triples and 12 home runs while recording 163 RBI and a .992 fielding percentage... lettered in football and baseball... All-County honors in baseball... All-State in football... PERSONAL: In 2002 as a member of the Pan-American Team, hit a 2-run walk-off home run to beat Venezuela and earned First Team All-Tournament honors helping win the Bronze medal... Wirnsberger and Brian Wilkerson were also summer league teammates, playing for coaches Roger Wilkinson and Ken Coates for the Pendleton Baseball program... Wirnsberger has hit .477 his last two seasons, totaling 25 doubles, seven triples and five home runs while recording a .998 fielding percentage... No. 1 sports highlight was hitting that 2-run homer to beat Venezuela in the opening game of the Pan-Am and helping set a NCAA record with 14 home runs against Columbia... his dad has been a major influence, "He has always been there and pushed me to be the best I possibly could."... most admires Cal Rikpen, Jr., "He played the game as hard as anyone and never gave up."... his dad wrestled at Wisconsin while an uncle was a wrestler at Michigan State and brother Josh at Shelton State... enjoys hunting, fishing, golf and baseball... favorite professional team is New York Yankees... listens to George Strait... son of John and Julie Wirnsberger... born January 4, 1988 in West Bend, Wisconsin... MAJOR: Business Management
