CCA All-America Teams (PDF)

RINDGE, N.H. (May 28, 2016) – The No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team has had three players earn All-America accolades from the Conference Commissioners Association, as announced on Friday. Junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.), sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) and senior right-hander Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.) all landed on the CCA All-America Second Team.

It is the first career All-America nod from the CCA for Jabs, who earned Second Team honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association earlier this week, as well as Third Team accolades from the American Baseball Coaches Association a year ago. Both Matarazzo and Bird earn their first career All-America selections.

Somehow, Jabs has managed to improve on last year's already gaudy numbers and has posted a .363/.476/.662 slash line through 55 games and 204 at-bats (74-for-204) so far in 2016. Through the East Regional, he is tied for 16th in the country in runs batted in (69), ranks 26th in runs batted in per game (1.25), is tied for 27th in walks (41), is tied for 45th in home runs (14) and is tied for 48th in total bases (135). Within the Northeast-10, Jabs ranks first in slugging percentage, home runs and runs batted in; second in walks; third in on-base percentage; fifth in runs scored (60); sixth in batting average and hits; tied for 11th in doubles (13); tied for 13th in triples (3); and tied for 17th in stolen bases (16).

Matarazzo, who logged just 9.2 innings as a freshman a year ago, adds the All-America honor to his consensus All-East Region selection from earlier this spring. Through 13 starts, he has logged 83.2 innings and recorded 72 strikeouts (7.75 per nine innings) on his way to a 1.61 ERA and an 11-0 record with two complete games. Matarazzo has allowed 18 runs (15 earned) on 64 hits and walked 20 along the way. In the country, he currently ranks tied for fourth in wins, seventh in ERA, 19th in WHIP (1.00) and 28th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.88). Within the Northeast-10, Matarazzo ranks first in wins, second in ERA, seventh in innings pitched, tied for ninth in complete games, tied for 10th in strikeouts and 16th in strikeouts per nine innings.

Bird, who had just 12.1 collegiate innings to his name entering the season, exploded onto the scene from the Ravens bullpen as a senior and was also a consensus All-East Region pick before collected the All-America accolade. He has made 21 appearances on the mound, including one start, and has logged 58 innings while recording 66 strikeouts (10.24 per nine innings), on his way to a 1.55 ERA, an 8-1 record and three saves. Bird currently ranks fourth in the country in WHIP (0.83), fifth in ERA, ninth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.59) and 22nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50). He has allowed 12 runs (10 earned) on 36 hits and has walked 12 against the 66 strikeouts. Within the Northeast-10, Bird ranks first in ERA, ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine innings, is tied for fifth in wins and ranks 13th in strikeouts.

The Ravens (48-7) captured their seventh NCAA Regional title with a 6-3 win over Southern New Hampshire on Monday afternoon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Franklin Pierce will open its NCAA Championship National Finals appearance on Saturday against South Region champion Nova Southeastern, at 5 p.m. at Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).