March 18, 2009
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech senior catcher Jason Haniger has been named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for baseball. The award recognizes NCAA Division I senior student-athletes who excel both on and off the diamond and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, character, community and competition.
Haniger, a member of the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List, is currently batting .391 with a pair of home runs and 14 RBI and has helped the Yellow Jackets to a 13-1 start this season. The Santa Clara, Calif. native is also one of 42 student-athletes to receive an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, and the only baseball player to do so this season.
“I’m again honored to be mentioned among this great group of senior baseball players,” Haniger said Wednesday. “I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of my career at Georgia Tech, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in so many different things while in school here.”
The announcement came on the heels of Haniger receiving word of his nomination to the Johnny Bench Award Watch list. The Johnny Bench Award is presented to the top collegiate catcher at the end of each season.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence.
“Jason has played a vital role in our team’s community service efforts,” Yellow Jacket head coach Danny Hall said. “From organizing events to encouraging attendance, he has shown his leadership skills off the field just as much as on. As a co-captain, our team looks to him for guidance, and I’m pleased to see that he’s been rewarded for his efforts.”
Haniger has served as the baseball liaison on the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board the last two years, and has taken an active role in the increased community service efforts of the Yellow Jacket baseball program, which has included volunteering with Toys for Tots and Special Olympics this season.
The list is comprised of five seniors from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Haniger joins Duke seniors Nate Freiman and Matt Williams, Virginia pitcher Andrew Carraway and North Carolina pitcher Adam Warren.
The candidate pool of 30 will be narrowed down to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. The ballots will then be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate that best exemplifies excellence in the “Four C’s” of Classroom, Character, Community and Competition.
Additional information on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is available at www.seniorclassaward.com.
2009 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Baseball Candidates
Name, Position (School)Chris Auten, First Base (New Mexico State University)Scott Bittle, Pitcher (University of Mississippi)Andrew Carraway, Pitcher (University of Virginia)Louis Coleman, Pitcher (Louisiana State University)Brian Cloud, Pitcher (Texas Tech University)Clinton Cox, Pitcher (University of New Mexico)Steven Daniels, Outfield (Brown University)Chris Drechsel, Catcher (Wagner College)Brandon Eller, Infield (Arkansas State University)Grant Escue, First Base/Outfield (Bradley University)Nick Faunce, Outfield (University of Kansas)Nate Freiman, First Base/Catcher (Duke University)Nick Gaudi, Pitcher (Pepperdine University)Jason Haniger, Catcher (Georgia Tech)Chris Hervey, Outfield (Indiana University)Trevor Holder, Pitcher (University of Georgia)Drew Johnson, Outfield (University of San Francisco)Tyler Love, Infield (University of Maryland, Eastern Shore)Brandon McArthur, Infield (University of Florida)Brian Morrell, Pitcher (Eastern Illinois University)Matt Nohelty, Outfield (University of Minnesota)James Oliver, Pitcher (University of Alabama, Birmingham)Ben Orloff, Shortstop (University of California, Irvine)Kyle Rhoad, Outfield (Eastern Michigan University)Michael Rockett, Outfield (University of Texas at San Antonio)Joe Serafin, Pitcher (University of Vermont)Nick Sullivan, Outfield (University of Nebraska)Kyle Thebeau, Pitcher (Texas A&M University)Adam Warren, Pitcher (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)Matt Williams, Catcher (Duke University)
