Daniels was one of five Huskies to be awarded all-Big East honors.
UConn baseball’s Ryan Daniels was named the Big East Player of the Year, announced Tuesday by the conference, joining four others Huskies on Big East all-conference teams.
Daniels, a junior, played predominantly second base in his 50 games played, also spending some time in the outfield. He slashed .362/.476/.724 in 185 at-bats this year, setting a conference-high OPS of 1.200. His average, on-base percentage, 68 RBI, 64 runs, 14 doubles and four triples were all team-high marks on the year. In addition, he finished second in home runs (15), total bases (134), slugging percentage (.724), walks (37) and third in hits with 67, while also stealing 10 bases on 14 tries.
In Big East play, his average was even more impressive, at .372. His 34 RBI in 20 conference games was tied for first in the Big East.
It has not been an easy road at UConn for Daniels, who played 32 games his freshman year and just 20 games his sophomore year before a hip injury ended his season, hitting just .197 in 61 at bats. In his first full season of his collegiate career, Daniels bounced back to earn the Big East’s highest honor
Daniels was also named to the all-Big East first team, alongside teammates Caleb Shpur and Rob Rispoli. Shpur (.356/.420/.505), led the team in hits with 79 and stolen bases with 42, the latter of which marked a new program record. Shpur led the conference in at bats, runs scored and stolen bases, ranking third in hits. In his first year in Storrs, Rispoli shined, slashing .322/.416/.436, leading the team in walks and strikeouts.
Infielder Tyler Minick and closing pitcher Brady Afthim round out the Huskies’ honors, both named to the All-Big East Second Team. Minick took a big leap forward in his sophomore season, blasting a conference-high 20 home runs despite missing some time early in the year with a fractured orbital bone. Afthim recorded a 1.34 ERA in 21 appearances, locking down nine saves across 33 2⁄3 innings pitched. It is Afthim’s second Big East all-conference honors in his career after a first-team nod in 2024.
With some hardware locked up, UConn turns its attention to the Big East tournament. The Huskies will face Xavier in their first game Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, streaming on FloSports.