Drew Ehrhard Receives Gold Glove Award

GREENSBORO, N.C. - University of Tampa freshman second baseman Drew Ehrhard was among those presented with a 2018 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team recognition. The winners have been released by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings Sporting Goods in nine divisions of amateur baseball, from NCAA Division I to High School.

The Rawlings Gold Glove winners have been selected since 2007 in the collegiate and high school ranks, featuring many future Major League Baseball players. The ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Awards are selected by ABCA coaches committees at each level: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and High School.

Ehrhard, who also hails from Tampa, needed little time to adjust to collegiate play on the diamond. Starting in, and playing in all 53 games for the Spartans, he posted a .979 fielding percentage. He had 138 assists, 97 putouts and was part of 37 double plays. Also a second-team all-Sunshine State Conference selection, Ehrhard hit .344 with five home runs and 36 RBI. He also posted 11 doubles and two triples. He finished the season as one of two players to start all 53 games.

He becomes the first Spartan to win a Gold Glove since 2015 when centerfielder Casey Scoggins was honored as the national Gold Glove winner. He joins Ryan Kennedy as the only second basemen to receive the award, as Kennedy was honored in 2007.

The ABCA/Rawlings Award Program is one of the most comprehensive in all of sports, awarding All-America Teams and Gold Glove Teams in nine divisions of amateur baseball as well as All-Region Teams in five divisions.

The ABCA/Rawlings All-America teams date back to 1949 starting with one collegiate All-America Team. Other divisions subsequently added until the current total of nine was reached. The first ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were recognized in 2007, making this the 11th year the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards have been presented in the collegiate and high school ranks.

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 9,700 members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth. The 75th annual ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 3-6, 2019 in Dallas, Texas.

About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings' unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

Click here to view the complete list of 2018 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove winners