BLACKSBURG – With less than two months away from first pitch of the 2014 baseball season, the first of many preseason All-America teams has just been released. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) announced its teams Wednesday, Dec. 18 and named junior catcher Mark Zagunis as a second team player.
Zagunis is one of just 11 student-athletes from the Atlantic Coast Conference to be selected to one of the three NCBWA preseason teams and joins NC State shortstop Trea Turner as the only two that are neither a pitcher or outfielder.
“Mark’s statistics the past two seasons speak for themselves. Clearly he has been one of the most productive hitters in college baseball,” Tech head coach Patrick Mason said. “The thing that has impressed me the most about Mark this year is how much he has embraced the role of being a team leader on the field, in the community, and in the classroom.”
The Cinnaminson, N.J. native’s list of accomplishments in just two years at Tech is significant and includes both on the field and off the field honors. Last year, he was an academic all-district first team selection and All-ACC academic team member as well as 2013 Johnny Bench Award Watch List nominee and a ACC All-Tournament team member.
In his Tech career, Zagunis is a career .343 batter and has 147 hits – 28 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs – 99 runs scored, 85 RBIs, a .530 slugging percentage, a .436 on-base percentage and has stolen 39 bases. He has 10 career game-winning RBIs as a Hokie, including a pair of walk-off home runs, and has scored 13 career game-winning runs.
The full release of the 2014 NCBA preseason All-America teams can be viewed by clicking the link above.
The Hokies open the 2014 season at the Charlotte Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Tech will face Youngstown State on Friday, Feb. 14 at noon.
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