Charlton, Mass., native selected to ABCA/Rawlings first team

RINDGE, N.H. (May 26, 2003) - Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Matt Weagle (Charlton, Mass./Shephard Hill) has earned the first American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Division II All-America selection in the program's NCAA era (since 1989). The announcement was made this afternoon by the ABCA All-America committee.

Weagle, the ABCA/Rawlings Northeast Region and Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year, is the College's first All-America pick since Keith LaPointe was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 1978.

"I'm just excited as can be for Matt," said fifth-year Head Coach Jayson King. "He is very deserving of this honor. While he may not have had as many wins as some of the other pitchers under consideration for first team honors, I think they realized that if given the opportunity he would have put up those numbers as well. I'm happy as heck for him as well as our program."

Weagle, whom Baseball America tabbed as the No. 4-ranked Pro Prospect in Division II, is 9-1 this season with a Conference-low 1.35 ERA (4th in Division II), 98 strikeouts (1st NE-10) and 16 walks in 91.2 innings (1st). Opposing batters are hitting a Conference-low .180 with a mere three extra-base hits against him this season.

Weagle certainly helped his first team selection with a solid complete-game performance in game one of the Division II College World Series on Saturday afternoon with most of the ABCA All-America committee members in the stands. He led the Ravens to a 2-1 victory over No. 6 Slippery Rock University as he scattered six hits and two walks in yielding an earned run with seven strikeouts in his program record-matching seventh complete game of the season which also matched the career mark of 17. The win was Weagle's 13th in his last 14 decisions dating back to last season.

Weagle, a two-time All-Region and All-Conference pick, ranks first all-time at the College with 252 career strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA in 17 complete games. He also ranks among career leaders in appearances (36 - 5th), innings (266.1 - 2nd) and wins (19 - 3rd).

"It's amazing," said Weagle upon hearing the news. "It almost puts the icing on the cake to the season, with the last step if we can win a National Championship this week. It's nice to see all the hard work that myself, coach King and my teammates have put in has paid off with such an unbelievable honor."

Franklin Pierce (31-15), ranked No. 21 in the most recent Collegiate Baseball Division II poll, returns to action tonight when it faces No. 1 Central Missouri State University (48-7) in game six of the 2003 Division II College World Series at 7:30 p.m. (ET).