Cavers Named Akadema Small College All-American by Baseball America
Otisfield, Maine, native first in program history to earn honors by publication
RINDGE, N.H. (June 21, 2004) - Former Franklin Pierce catcher Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) has added another All-America award to his list of accolades as he has earned a spot on the Akadema Small College All-America Team by Baseball America magazine. Cavers is the first player in program history to earn a spot on the magazine's small college team, made up of players from NCAA Divisions II & III as well as the NAIA.
Last month, Cavers was named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-America first team. It marks the second-straight year Franklin Pierce has placed a player on the Rawlings/ABCA All-America first team as Matt Weagle earned a spot on the elite team in 2003. Cavers is the first position player in the program's NCAA era (since 1989) to earn All-America honors. Keith LaPointe was an honorable mention NAIA All-American in 1978.
Cavers, a tenth round draft pick of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball's First Year Player Draft two weeks ago, earned the first ABCA/Rawlings Northeast Region Player of the Year award in program history this season and also earned a spot on the All-Region first team. He completed the season leading the NE-10 in batting average (.394), on-base percentage (.481), slugging percentage (.670), runs scored (59), hits (80), triples (5) and home runs (10), while also ranking high among NE-10 leaders with 16 doubles (2nd), 44 RBI (2nd), 22 stolen bases (3rd) and 31 walks (5th).
Cavers also led the Ravens with a program-record 26 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games this season and posted a team season-high 15-game hitting streak earlier this spring. In Conference play this season, Cavers hit .402 (47-117) with 37 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, six homers, 24 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
Cavers, a two-time NE-10 Player of the Week, is also the top defensive catcher in the Conference, having thrown out 32.6-percent (14-43) of the potential base stealers against him this season to go with seven pickoffs (2nd NE-10).
Cavers has established single-season records for hits and runs at Franklin Pierce, while his at bat total ranks second, batting average sixth, doubles second, triples second, home runs sixth, RBI seventh, slugging percentage fifth, walks third and steals second on the program's single-season lists.
Cavers holds the program's career stolen base record with 57, while also ranking among career leaders with 43 doubles (2nd), 139 runs scored (3rd), eight triples (3rd), 193 hits (4th), 150 games played (6th), 18 home runs (5th) and 103 RBI (8th).
Cavers earned Louisville Slugger MVP honors at the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) College All-Star Game at Fenway Park as he hit 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Cavers, who signed a contract with the Astros, begins his professional career tonight for the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League tonight against the Elizabethton Twins.
Franklin Pierce (32-23, 23-8 NE-10) wrapped up its 2004 season by claiming its second ECAC Division II Baseball Championship over the last three years. The Ravens established a new program record for Conference victories and matched the program mark for overall wins in a season. The Ravens were runners up in the Northeast-10 Conference standings by a half game and reached the NE-10 Tournament for the fourth-straight year.