HOUSTON, TX — The 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children® College Classic concluded tonight at Minute Maid Park with Kentucky being named the Tournament Champions with a perfect 3-0 record. The Wildcats were matched by Mississippi State, which also went 3-0, but earned the tiebreaker with a plus-21 run differential, as opposed to the Bulldogs plus-five mark. Three teams finished 1-2 in Louisiana, Sam Houston State and Vanderbilt, while Houston finished 0-3. The SEC fared well this weekend, as the three clubs posted a collective 7-2 record.

Following tonight’s game, the tournament announced the 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic All-Tournament Team, which was highlighted by the Classic’s Most Outstanding Player 3B Luke Heyer from Kentucky. Heyer hit .727 (8x11) this weekend with three home runs, two doubles, five runs scored and six RBI.

The 2018 All-Tournament Team:

C Tanner Allen, Miss. St. .455 (5x11), 2 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, .600 OBP

1B Blake Chisolm, SHSU .429 (3x7), 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 1 HB, .636 OBP

2B Hunter Kasuls, Louisiana .333 (3x9), 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 HB, .500 OBP, 2 SB

3B Luke Heyer, Kentucky .727 (8x11), 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB

SS Connor Kaiser, Vanderbilt .273 (3x11), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HB, 1 SB

OF Ben Aklinski, Kentucky .500 (6x12), 4 R, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, .600 OBP

OF Tanner Poole, Miss. St. .455 (5x11), 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, .538 OBP, 1 SB

OF Ryan Johnson, Kentucky .400 (4x10), 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 HB, .455 OBP

DH T.J. Collett, Kentucky .583 (7x12), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, .643 OBP

P Jack Burk, Louisiana 1-0, 0.00 ERA (0ER/7IP), 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K

P Aaron Fletcher, Houston 0-0, 1.42 ERA (1ER/6.1IP), 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K

P Connor Pilkington, Miss. St. 1-0, 1.29 ERA (1ER/7IP), 3 H, 1 BB, 13 K

P Zack Thompson, Kentucky 1-0, 0.00 ERA (0ER/6IP), 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K

Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic Most Outstanding Player: 3B Luke Heyer, Kentucky

Additionally, the Astros announced the field for the 2019 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, which will feature six Texas programs in Baylor, Houston, Rice, TCU, Texas A&M and Texas State. The 19th annual tournament will feature nine games at Minute Maid Park from March 1-3, 2019.