D2CCA Announces All-Americans as Five Spartans Honored

MARSHALL, Minn. - The University of Tampa had a total of five student-athletes recognized as the D2CCA announced its 2023 NCAA Division II All-America teams. A total of 48 student-athletes were named to either the first, second or third team All-America squad, while 16 were named honorable mention.

 

Tampa placed three on the All-America teams, including secon-team All-American E.J. Cumbo and third-team All-Americans Alex Canney and Jordan Lala. Presented as honorable mention were Drew Ehrhard and J.D. Urso.

 

Cumbo, a junior from East Meadow, N.Y., is the 2023 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year. Also a first-team all-region selection by ABCA/Rawlings, D2CCA and NCBWA, Cumbo was a first-team all-SSC choice as well. He concluded the 2023 campaign with a .416 batting average, six home runs and a team-leading 63 RBI. His 91 hits and .603 slugging percentage also ranked as team highs.

 

Lala, a senior from Tampa, Fla., was the top hitter in the SSC while finishing the season with a .445 batting average. The first-team all-SSC selection was also named first-team ABCA/Rawlings, NCBWA and D2CCA all-region. He set a school record with 79 runs scored in 2023 while his batting average went down as third in Spartan history. Lala was also the team leader with 32 stolen bases, 54 walks and a .569 on-base percentage. His walks also place him fifth in the nation, and first in the SSC.

 

Canney, a sophomore from Valrico, Fla., was selected as the SSC Pitcher of the Year, while also being first-team ABCA/Rawlings, D2CCA and NCBWA all-region. The pitcher finished the 2023 season with a perfect 9-0 record. Sporting a 2.49 ERA, Canney tossed 76.0 innings with 53 strikeouts for the Spartans.

 

Ehrhard, a utility player from Tampa, Fla., concluded his Spartan career as the program's all-time hits leader with 352 career hits. He also ranks as the all-time hits leader in the SSC and concludes his career third in NCAA Division II history. He enjoyed a senior season where he hit .376 with six home runs and 47 RBI. Ehrhard owned a .465 on-base percentage and .992 fielding percentage with 357 total chances defensively. He was also a first-team all-SSC selection while being all-region by D2CCA and NCBWA.

 

Urso, a shortstop from Tampa, Fla., has been a first-team all-region selection by the NCBWA, D2CCA and now ABCA/Rawlings, and was also a member of the all-SSC team. While hitting .374, Urso led all Spartans with 25 doubles, which was the highest in program history by a shortstop, and 32 extra-base hits while reaching base in all 54 games this season. He also finished the season with five home runs and 57 RBI, scoring 53 runs while carrying an on-base percentage of .461. He ranked first in the SSC in doubles, and currently places fourth nationally in the category and 10th in doubles per game.

 

The CCA All-America and All-Region baseball teams, which are selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) from schools playing Division II baseball, were first established in 2007. This is the eighth year in which the program is solely sponsored by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. The online nomination and voting processes are provided by UT partner Presto Sports.

 

Junior left-handed pitcher Kade Bragg from Angelo State University and sophomore first baseman Jakob Christian from Point Loma Nazarene University headline the 2023 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America baseball team, earning the Ron Lenz Pitcher and Player of the Year awards, respectively.

 

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.