April 16, 2008

VOTE NOW!

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior co-captain Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) has been selected as one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the baseball division, it was announced on Wednesday. The honor will be presented in June to the top senior student-athlete in collegiate baseball who demonstrates the qualities both on and off the field of what it means to be a complete student-athlete, with specific attention paid to achievements in the classroom and community.

Last month, Buursma and teammate Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) were originally selected as two of 30 candidates for the award. Buursma and the nine other finalists chosen from that group will now be placed on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote. From April 16-June 2, fans will be able to vote via the award's web site, www.seniorclassaward.com. Those results, combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors, will determine the award recipient.

Buursma becomes the second Bison student-athlete to be named a finalist for this honor as 2007 graduate Ryan Gryskevicz was a finalist for the inaugural award last spring and was named an All-Senior All-American. Bucknell and Oklahoma are the two schools in the nation to have finalists on the ballot both years the award has been presented.

Through his first three seasons with the Orange and Blue, Buursma has become one of the most decorated players in program history, earning four All-Patriot League selections and a spot on the 2006 ABCA All-East Region First Team. A two-time member of the Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award watch list, Buursma holds the school's career saves record with 15 and finished 2007 with the second lowest ERA in Patriot League history, 1.65. Currently one home run away from matching the program's career record, Buursma is on pace to finish his time at Bucknell ranking in the top-10 career leaders for virtually every major hitting and pitching category.

Buursma is having his finest campaign yet as a member of the Bison. He was named the Patriot League's Pitcher of the Week back on Mar. 17, marking the fifth overall weekly accolade of his career. Through 25 games in the field, he is leading the Patriot League in batting average (.418), home runs (9), slugging percentage (.747) and has contributed 24 runs scored and 23 RBI. On the mound as the ace of Bucknell's staff, he leads the league with a 5-1 record along with 55 strikeouts in 54.1 innings of work. Buursma boasts a 3.48 ERA and has walked just eight batters, holding opponents to a .258 average.

Buursma was taken in 43rd Round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners, but chose to return to Bucknell and complete his college career. The 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team honoree carries a 3.64 grade-point average as an economics major with a philosophy minor and has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll twice and to the Dean's List in six of seven semesters. During the fall of his junior year, Buursma spent the semester studying abroad at Oxford.

The baseball division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award was launched in 2007. This award to honor seniors was first established due to the trend of men's college basketball players leaving school early to play professionally. After five years of honoring senior basketball players for remaining in school, the award expanded to other NCAA sports including baseball.

The player procurement process in baseball has created a system where many players are drafted prior to finishing their collegiate careers. This puts a premium on the value of senior leadership at the nation's collegiate baseball programs. The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for baseball pays tribute to the senior student-athletes who compete hard on the field, finish their education and make an impact in their local community.

The second-annual baseball winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award will be announced during the 2008 College World Series.