OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Southeastern Louisiana University catcher
Josh Cryer was one of thirty NCAA baseball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates Thursday for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
Cryer, a senior from Leesville, was one of three players selected as candidates with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. A three-time President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Cryer is a two-time, first-team member on the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI team and Academic All-Southland Conference squad.
Cryer, an accounting major, was selected as the 2010 Southland Conference Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year and was chosen the Outstanding Junior in the College of Business by the Southeastern chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.
On the field, Cryer hit .312 in 2010 with five home runs and 46 RBI for the Lions and was hit by a Southland Conference-high 22 pitches.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 2011 candidate class includes 15 student-athletes with cumulative grade point averages of better than a 3.5, including three with perfect 4.0 GPAs. Seven are from teams ranked in the Collegiate Baseball preseason top 35 poll.
Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the winner June 24 at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha.
For more information on all the candidates, visit www.seniorCLASSaward.com.
2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Baseball Candidates
Connor Bernatz, Outfield, San Francisco
Dan Bracey, Pitcher, Columbia
Ryan Court, Third Base, Illinois State
Josh Cryer, Catcher/Utility, Southeastern Louisiana
Chris Dennis, Pitcher, Portland
Brandon Eckerle, Centerfield, Michigan State
Clint Ewing, Catcher, Louisiana Tech
Mike Frongello, Pitcher, Davidson
Cole Green, Pitcher, Texas
Frazier Hall, First Base/Designated Hitter, Southern
Brian Hernandez, Infield/Pitcher, UC Irvine
Paul Hoilman, First Base, East Tennessee State
Cole Johnson, Pitcher, Notre Dame
Tim Kelley, Pitcher, Wichita State
Ben Koenigsfeld, Outfield/Pitcher, Army
Phil Konieczny, Infield, Pittsburgh
Max Krakowiak, Pitcher, Fordham
Seth Maness, Pitcher, East Carolina
Scott Matyas, Pitcher, Minnesota
Chad Oberacker, Outfield, Tennessee Tech
Kevin Patterson, Outfield/First Base, Auburn
Jordan Ribera, First Base, Fresno State
Matt Rice, Catcher, Western Kentucky
Arik Sikula, Pitcher, Marshall
Chris Slater, Outfield, Baylor
Cody Terry, Shortstop/Third Base, Tennessee-Martin
Cory Tilton, Outfield, Charlotte
T.J. Walz, Pitcher, Kansas
Tyler Wilson, Pitcher, Virginia
Nate Woods, Pitcher/First Base/Designated Hitter, Belmont
ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Sportscaster Dick Enberg, honorary chair of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, first conceived the idea of an award for seniors in 2001 in response to the growing trend of men's basketball players leaving school early for the NBA. The award program has expanded from men's and women's basketball to include 10 NCAA Division I sports. The award is sponsored by Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, and is managed by Premier Sports Management.
