Three Spartans Honored as ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans
J.D. Osborne, Kevin Santa and David Lebron recognized as All-Americans.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The 2017 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. II All-America teams have been released by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods. Three University of Tampa student-athletes were recognized.
J.D. Osborne was named a first-team All-American, while teammates Kevin Santa and David Lebron were recognized as second-team All-Americans.
Osborne, a senior first baseman from Whitby, Ontario, put up some of the nation's eading power numbers. While hitting .387, he slugged a team-leading 20 home runs with 86 RBI. He was also named first-team all-Sunshine State Conference.
Santa, senior shortstop from Yabucoa, P.R., ends his two-year Spartan career with the highest batting average in program history at .429. Also an NCBWA second-team All-American, he hit .423 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in his final season. He was also a first-team all-SSC selection and first-team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region choice.
Lebron, a junior from Homestead, Fla., was also named the South Region and Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year. In 15 games this season, he posted a 2.66 ERA with a record of 7-1. In 91.1 innings of work, Lebron struck out 103 opposing hitters. He closed the season with a 15-strikeout effort in the NCAA South Regional against defending national champion Nova Southeastern.
ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first-team selections, which were announced last Wednesday, were nominated for All-America honors. In all divisions, the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Teams will be announced on Wednesday, June 21, and the ABCA Players of the Year will be announced Wednesday, June 28.
The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.
The Chair of the ABCA NCAA Div. III All-America & Coach of the Year Committee is Rudy Garbalosa of Lynn University. Also on the committee are Jim Gantt of Catawba College, Harry Hillson of Mansfield University, Rick Giannetti of Dominican College, Rob Penders of St. Edwards University, Kyle Poock of Winona State University, Jamie Detillion of Grand Valley State University and Randy Betten of Cal Poly Pomona.
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 8,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 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 74th annual ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 4-7, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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.