First-Team All-American Honors Presented to David Lebron
UT ace has now been recognized as an All-American by three outlets.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - University of Tampa pitcher David Lebron was recognized as a first-team All-American for the second straight season as the 2018 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II All-America teams have been released by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods. Eight of the student-athletes selected for All-America teams were playing in the NCAA Division II College World Series this week in Cary, North Carolina.
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 20, followed by the ABCA National Pitchers of the Year on Monday, June 25 and ABCA Position Players of the Year on Wednesday, June 27.
Lebron, a senior from Homestead, Fla., was also selected as a first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America (NCBWA) and second-team All-American by the Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA). He turned in a dominant campaign as he finished the season with a 10-0 record to go with a 2.24 ERA. In 96.1 innings, the righty registered 139 strikeouts. This marks the second straight season where he was named the South Region Pitcher of the Year. He also becomes a two-time All-American. He concludes his two-year Spartan career with a record of 17-1. He struck out 242 hitters with a 2.45 ERA. He ranks 10th on UT's all-time strikeout list and is third among two-year players.
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. II All-America & Coach of the Year Committee is Rudy Garbalosa of Lynn University. Also on the committee are Jim Gantt (Catawba College), Rick Giannetti (Dominican College), Rob Penders (St. Edward's University), Kyle Poock (Winona State University), Matt Jones (Shippensburg University), Jamie Detillion (Grand Valley State University) and Randy Betten (Cal Poly Pomona).
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 9,600 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 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.