ESU Academic Awards History

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University senior outfielder Eric Boyer has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America third team for the 2013 baseball season, it was announced Thursday.

Boyer (Coopersburg/Southern Lehigh), an Earth and Space Science and Secondary Education major with a 3.67 grade-point average, was named to the Academic All-District team for the third straight season this spring to earn a spot on the Academic All-America ballot.

He is one of just four ESU student-athletes to earn three Academic All-District first team selections in their careers, and was the only sophomore selected on the Academic All-District 2 team in 2011.

Boyer is the third Academic All-American in ESU baseball history, joining pitcher Mike Balent in 1985 and infielder Mike Petruny in 1979. He was named ESU's Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year earlier this month.

Boyer was one of six All-PSAC East selections for the Warriors, who won their second PSAC Tournament championship in school history and first since 1971 on May 8-11 in Johnstown.

He was a four-year starter and a member of two NCAA Tournament and three PSAC Tournament teams in his career. The Warriors advanced to the PSAC Tournament in 2010 and the PSAC and NCAA Tournaments in 2011, finishing third in the Atlantic Region, before setting a school record with 34 wins including a 4-0 stretch in the PSAC Tournament in 2013.

ESU's No. 3 hitter and right fielder, Boyer hit .344 with a .434 on-base percentage, led the Warriors with 22 stolen bases, ranked second with 40 runs scored and third with 31 RBI while starting all 52 games.

In a 7-1 win over West Chester in the PSAC championship game, he was 4-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a stolen base, including a two-RBI, bases loaded double in a five-run fifth inning.

He was 6-for-15 with two walks, four stolen bases, two RBI and five runs in four games in the PSAC Tournament. In the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional at Wake Forest, he was 6-for-13 with two walks, one stolen base, one RBI and three runs over three games.

Boyer finished his career ranked in ESU's top 10 in five categories, including second in RBI (118), stolen bases (63) and stolen base percentage (87.5, 63-72). He also ranks third in walks (90), tied for seventh in runs (121), 11th in hits (171), 12th in games played (161) and 13th in total bases (237).

He was named PSAC East Player of the Week on April 1, reaching base in 16 of 23 plate appearances – part of a stretch in which he reached base in 27 of 37 plate appearances from March 22-30.

Boyer was a career .335 hitter, posting a .438 on-base percentage and .465 slugging percentage. He hit .393 with a .444 on-base percentage as a freshman, .331 with a .432 on-base percentage as a sophomore, .283 with a .445 on-base percentage as a junior and .344 with a .434 on-base percentage as a senior. He had at least 30 RBI in each of his last three years and had 26 career doubles, five triples and 10 home runs.

He was also an outstanding defensive outfielder as well, with 270 career putouts, 12 assists and just five errors. He had 104 putouts, four assists and one error as a senior.

Boyer is the 29th ESU student-athlete to earn Academic All-America status and the third this year, along with junior Rebecca Smith (softball) and junior Khriswayne Wallace (men's soccer).

This marks the second year that the Academic All-America programs, selected and administered by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), are divided into four teams – Division I, Division II, Division III and College Division (NAIA, Canada and two-year schools). Teams were previously selected in the University Division (DI) and College Division (all others).

ESU has eight Academic All-District selections so far this year with teams in men's and women's track & field and cross country set to be announced this spring. ESU ranks second among the 16 PSAC schools with 55 Academic All-District selections in the last five years.