Not since 1978 has a Spartan baseball player earned first-team All-American honors.

Thanks to Bob Malek, that streak has been obliterated.

The outfielder, who just finished his junior season, was named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods.

Malek also received a spot on the Mideast Region First Team and, earlier this summer, he was a first-team All-American on Louisville Slugger’s and Collegiate Baseball’s lists.

Malek led the Big Ten with 163 total bases and tied for the league lead in home runs with 16. He also finished second in the conference with a .744 slugging percentage, 66 runs and 66 RBIs and third in the Big Ten in batting average (.402) and hits (88).

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder was selected by the New York Mets in the fourth round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft.

He is not expected return to MSU for his senior year.