Julien earns spot on Collegiate Freshmen All-America Team

Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) drove in a run as the Auburn Tigers lost the opener of the Super Regional, giving him 69 for the season — breaking Hall of Famer Frank Thomas' record for a freshman. Julien earned All-American honours. 

TUSCON, Ariz. – Auburn freshmen Edouard Julien, Tanner Burns, Cody Greenhill and Steven Williams have been named to the 2018 Collegiate Freshmen All-America Team.

The four Tigers who earned the honors are not only the most in program history, surpassing three honorees from 2008, but are also tied with Vanderbilt for the most in the country this season

Burns is 7-4 with a 3.12 ERA and has been a member of the Auburn starting rotation since opening weekend. The Decatur, Alabama, native who was named the 2017 Collegiate Baseball National High School Player of the Year, ranks second on the team with 74 strikeouts, marking the second most by an Auburn freshman since 1998. In his last three starts, two of which have come in postseason play, Burns is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA and has pitched 6.0 or more innings in each appearance.

Despite missing nearly four weeks at the beginning of conference play with an illness, Greenhill led the team with a 2.42 ERA in SEC play. A product of Russellville, Alabama, he has posted a 5-2 record with a 2.11 ERA while picking up five saves his freshman season. Greenhill didn’t allow an earned run in the first 10.1 innings of his collegiate career and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 11 of his 19 trips to the mound. In his most recent relief appearance, he earned the win in the Raleigh Regional final vs. N.C. State.

Burns combined with Greenhill to pitch all 9.0 innings in a league win in four of the last six SEC series of the regular season, including the first shutout of rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa since 1980. The freshman duo also pitched all but 0.2 innings in a league win versus Vanderbilt during the span.

Arguably the best offensive freshman duo in program history, Julien and Williams have combined for 28 home runs and 117 RBIs in their first season on The Plains.

Julien’s 17 home runs and 68 RBIs are the most by an Auburn player since 2010 and are knocking on the door of the top 10 in program history. His RBI total not only leads all freshmen nationally, but is also tied with former Auburn great and National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas for the most by a freshman in program history. His 17 home runs are also tied for the second most among freshmen nationally and are the most by an Auburn freshman since 1998.

Right on the heels of his freshman roommate, Williams has totaled 11 home runs and 49 RBI this season. His 11 home runs are tied for the fourth most by an Auburn freshman, and his 49 RBI are tied for the seventh most by a Tiger freshman. After beginning his Auburn career with a home run in his first collegiate at-bat and totaling seven RBI in his debut, Williams has turned in a .295 batting average while ranking tied for second on the team in runs (52), third in RBI, fourth in hits (69) and tied for fourth in home runs.

The freshman quartet and the rest of the Tigers make the first Super Regional appearance since 1999 in Gainesville, Florida, this weekend. The first game against the No. 1 Gators is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.