April 25, 2013
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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech senior Brandon Thomas has been named one of 10 baseball finalists for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award®, which is presented annually to an NCAA Division I senior with notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in February. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or on the Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through June 10. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
“Brandon is a model student-athlete at Georgia Tech and I couldn’t be more proud of what he’s accomplished here both on and off the field,” said head coach Danny Hall. “He is more than deserving to be among the finalists for this award, and be considered one of the top senior student-athletes in the nation.”
Thomas was a second-team Academic All-America and a first-team All-ACC pick in 2012 after hitting .360 with 15 doubles, five home runs, 44 RBI and swiping 44 bases. He finished the year fourth in the ACC in hitting and second in on-base percentage (.481). After being drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomas returned this season and has bumped his average up to .395 (second in the ACC) to go with a team-leading 13 doubles and 21 RBI.
An Atlanta native and graduate of Pace Academy, Thomas owns a 3.50 cumulative GPA in business administration. The senior was presented Tech’s Faculty Honors in the fall of 2009 and has made the Dean’s List in six different semesters.
Thomas has been just as active off the field, helping give back to his hometown of Atlanta in many ways. He has volunteered his time at a number of Atlanta charities including the Ronald McDonald House. He has been actively involved in LEAD, which is an Atlanta program designed to expand baseball in the inner city, and at the Matt Joyce baseball camps. Brandon has also served as a confirmation sponsor at Holy Spirit church. On campus, he has had involvement with Team Buzz.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA College World Series® in Omaha June 15-26.
Baseball Finalists
Mark Appel, Stanford
Shane Basen, Charlotte
Chase Brookshire, Belmont
Boomer Collins, Dallas Baptist
LB Dantzler, South Carolina
Carlos Lopez, Cal State Fullerton
Alex Mendez, South Florida
Raph Rhymes, LSU
Chris Rowley, Army
Brandon Thomas, Georgia Tech
