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Jersey Number 3
Todd Helton
- Class:
- Junior
- Position:
- 1B/LHP
- Ht/Wt:
- 6-2 / 190
- Hometown:
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- High School:
- Central High School
One of the most decorated players in the history of Tennessee baseball, Helton's No. 3 jersey was retired by the Vols on Jan. 30, 2008. Helton spent 17 years with the Colorado Rockies organization, and as the club’s longest-tenured player, he was a five-time All-Star, four-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winner and three-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner. At the time of his retirement in 2013, Helton held Rockies career records for games played (2,247), runs (1,401), hits (2,519), doubles (592), home runs (369), RBI (1,406), walks (1,335) and extra-base hits (998). He also ranked 16th all-time among Major League players in doubles (592), 19th in OPS (.953), 35th in walks (1,335) and 37th in extra-base hits (998). On Aug. 7, 2014, Helton became the first player in Rockies history to have his jersey No. 17 retired at Coors Field.
1995 - JUNIOR
- Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1995 MLB First-Year Player Draft (and went on to make his Major League debut two years later).
- The National Collegiate Player of the Year, he received the Dick Howser Award from USA Today/Baseball Weekly, Baseball America's National Player of the Year Award, Collegiate Baseball's Co-National Player of the Year and the Southeastern Conference's Male Athlete of the Year Award.
- Became just the second baseball player ever to receive the SEC Athlete of the Year Award.
- The two-time first-team All-American also was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
- Powered the Vols to the a second consecutive SEC Championship, the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship and a third-place finish at the College World Series.
- Finished his collegiate career owning the SEC record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 47.2 (as a sophomore in 1994).
- Hit at a .407 clip while leading the SEC in home runs (20), RBI (92), runs (86), doubles (27), hits (105), walks (61), slugging percentage (.775) and on-base percentage (.522).
- Also led the SEC with a 1.66 ERA while compiling an 8-2 record on the mound with 12 saves.
- Earned a complete-game pitching victory over Clemson in the first round of the College World Series in Omaha.
- Named to the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team for the second straight year.
1994 - SOPHOMORE
- Earned All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball
- Helped guide Tennessee to an SEC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Mideast Regional.
- Was named to the NCAA Mideast Regional All-Tournament Team.
- Was a first-team honoree on the 1994 Smith Super Team (first team).
- Named SEC Eastern Division Tournament Co-MVP.
- Set an SEC record by pitching 47.2 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking LSU great Ben McDonald's mark of 44.2 straight scoreless innings, set in 1989.
- Started all 65 games in which he appeared.
- Batted .355 with 16 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 80 RBI.
- As a left-handed pitcher, he went 5-0 with seven saves and a 0.89 ERA.
- Set UT single-season records in at-bats (251), runs (65), hits (89), RBI (80) and saves (11).
- Led the SEC with 80 RBI, bettering the Tennessee single-season record of 67 set in 1991 by Joe Randa.
- Turned in a sterling .995 fielding percentage in making only three errors in 677 chances.
- Walked 56 times on the season while striking out only 20 times; conversely, on the mound, he struck out 51 batters while walking only 15.
- Was the winning pitcher in each of the Vols' extra-inning win (Central Florida, Ohio, Arkansas, Clemson and Vanderbilt).
- Led the Vols with 28 pitching appearances.
- Had a team-best six RBI in the Vols' win over Carson-Newman.
- Had a 10-game hit streak from Feb. 19 through March 12 and drove in 16 runs during that span.
- Picked up a win and a save in the Arkansas series (3/25-27/94), while going 6 of 13 at the plate with a home run, a double and six RBI.
- Went 6-of-12 in a weekend series at South Carolina (4/29-5/1/94) with four RBI and a double.
- Pitched the final three innings against Vanderbilt to pick up a win and helped his cause vs. the Commodores by hitting a game-winning grand slam in the 10th inning (5/8/94).
- Ended the regular season with a 5-of-11 outing in the Florida series (5/13-15/94); had four RBI, a double and a home run against the Gators as well as picking up a save in the regular-season finale.
- Hit a game-tying grand slam in the NCAA Mideast Regional Final, forcing the Arizona State game to extra innings before UT fell, 5-4, in 10 innings.(5/30/94).
- Registered three saves in the postseason, including the SEC Eastern Division Tournament Championship Game against Vanderbilt (5/22/94).
- Hit a home run in UT's first-round NCAA matchup with Northeastern (5/27) and was credited with the save after pitching two innings with three strikeouts.
1993 - FRESHMAN
- Burst onto the national college baseball scene and earned recognition as a consensus Freshman All-American, a first-team All-SEC performer and a third-team All-American.
- Was a key contributor as Tennessee captured the SEC Eastern Division championship and earned a berth in the NCAA Mideast Regional.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Graduated from Knoxville's Central High School in 1992 and turned down a reported $450,000 signing bonus from the San Diego Padres to enroll at Tennessee.
- His baseball coach at Central was Bud Bales.
- Was selected by San Diego in the second round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
- Became the first Tennessee athlete to be named Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year for the state in both baseball and football in the same year (1992).
- Also was named the 1992 Gatorade Southern Region Player of the Year in baseball.
- Was the back-to-back K.I.L. Baseball Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992.
- Earned preseason and postseason All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America in 1992; also was a USA TODAY first-team All-American.
- Posted a high school career batting average above .500.
- Hit .656 as a senior in 1992, collecting 59 hits in 90 at-bats with 19 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 35 RBI.
- On the mound, he notched 100 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.34 in 65.2 innings as a senior.
- As one of the South's top prep football quarterbacks, he was chosen as Tennessee's Class AAA Mr. Football.
- Named to numerous football All-America squads.
PERSONAL
- Full name is Todd Lynn Helton
- Born Aug. 20, 1973, in Knoxville, Tennessee
- Son of Jerry and Martha Helton
BSB | Tennessee Super Regional Postgame Presser at Arkansas (6.8.25)
Sunday, June 08
BSB | Tennessee Super Regional Postgame Presser at Arkansas (6.7.25)
Saturday, June 07
BSB | Tennessee Official Super Regional Preview Press Conference (6.6.25)
Friday, June 06
BSB | Tony Vitello Pre-NCAA Super Regional Media Availability (6.5.25)
Thursday, June 05
