Close, Rock Named to Capital One Academic All-District Team
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Seniors pitcher Brendan Close and designated hitter/outfielder Austin Rock have been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District IV College Division Baseball First Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Seniors pitcher Brendan Close (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom HS) and designated hitter/outfielder Austin Rock (Arlington, Va./Flour Bluff {Texas} HS) have been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District IV College Division Baseball First Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
By making the All-District First Team, Close and Rock are now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for Capital One Academic All-America® accolades, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 30th. Moravian has had 36 Capital One Academic All-Americans including 31 in the last 18 years.
To be eligible for Capital One Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.30 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve. Beginning in 2011-12, the program is made up of four levels – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and College Division (NAIA, Canadian colleges and junior colleges). District IV in NCAA Division III is made up of schools from Pennsylvania.
Close has a 7-1 record, a 2.37 ERA, one shutout, 51 strikeouts and just five walks allowed in 57 innings, and Close has set the school records with 29 career wins, career innings pitched at 259.1, eight shutouts and 283 career strikeouts. He was on the Landmark All-Conference First Team in 2009 and 2011 while being named the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year last season. Close was also a First Team ABCA and D3baseball.com All-American, and he made the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in 2010 as well as the Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll for the last three years including 2012 and the Landmark All-Academic Team in 2011. Close is majoring in financial economics.
Rock, who was on the 2011 Landmark All-Conference First Team, has contributed a .362 average, 50 hits, 31 runs, 14 doubles, a team high four home runs and 38 RBIs this spring. In his career, Rock has a .308 average (119-for-386) with 30 doubles, 13 homers, 75 runs scored and 97 RBIs. He was a member of the Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll the last three seasons including 2012. Rock is majoring in financial economics and philosophy.
Moravian has a 26-14 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Landmark Conference regular season. The Greyhounds are the top seed and will host the 2012 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament beginning on Saturday, May 5th at 11:00 a.m. versus fourth seed Drew University at Gillespie Field.
