ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia standouts Charlie Condon and Corey Collins have been named All-Americans by Baseball America, the publication announced Friday.
Condon, who was also named Baseball America’s College Player of the Year, made the First Team as a third baseman, while Collins was a second-team selection as a first baseman. The duo helped the eighth-ranked Bulldogs to a 43-17 finish and one win away from reaching the College World Series (CWS) in Wes Johnson’s first year at the helm.
A 6-6, 216-pound redshirt sophomore from Marietta, Ga., Condon currently leads the NCAA in batting (.443), home runs (a BBCOR-era record 37), slugging percentage (1.009), total bases (233) and OPS (1.565). The 2024 SEC Player of the Year, he ranked third nationally in on-base percentage (.566; Collins leads at .574) while posting a team-high 57 walks, including 28 intentional free passes. He had seven multi-home run games and homered in eight consecutive contests from April 26 to May 9, one shy of the NCAA record. He made starts at third base, first base and all three outfield positions.
Condon will be featured on the cover of Baseball America’s draft preview issue released later this month. He is expected to be among the top three picks in the 2024 MLB Draft with selected outlets indicating he could go No. 1 overall. A consensus All-America selection, Condon was awarded the Dick Howser Trophy, widely considered the Heisman Trophy of college baseball, last week in Omaha during the opening round of the CWS.
Condon is one of three finalists for The Golden Spikes Award. The winner will be announced Saturday during a live presentation on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET before game one of the CWS Finals in Omaha.
Collins, a 6-3, 236-pound first baseman/outfielder/catcher from Suwanee, Ga., enjoyed a tremendous senior season, batting a career-best .354 with 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 56 walks and a school record 28 hit by pitches. He aims to become the first SEC player to lead the nation in On Base Percentage with a .574 mark. This would be the third-highest mark in NCAA history. He appeared in 52 games this past season, with 46 starts at five different positions.
Collins was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Athens Regional as well as the regional All-Tournament team. Earlier this season, he tied a school record when he hit three home runs in a game, doing it in his first three at-bats, including leading off the game. Collins concluded his career with 45 home runs, ranking him fourth in school history. He played in 195 games, including 184 starts.
The 2024 MLB Draft will be held July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas, when the Rangers host MLB All-Star Week. The draft's opening round will start at 5 p.m. on July 14 on ESPN. Day two and three of the draft will begin at noon ET. The top five picks belong to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado, Oakland and the Chicago White Sox.
