Ward receives NCBWA District I Player of the Year honor
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The postseason honors continue to roll in for Bryant University baseball redshirt freshman Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) as he was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) District I Player of the Year.
Ward is the first player in program history to earn the honor and is one of 11 players across the country to be recognized. His postseason resume now includes Collegiate Baseball Co-National Freshman Player of the Year honors, Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American honors, Northeast Conference and New England Player and Rookie of the Year honors and ECAC Rookie of the Year honors.
One of only two Bulldogs to appear in all 56 games, Ward broke the program record for hits in a single season with 101 and became the first player in DI program history to hit over .400 in a single season. He finished with 22 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, a program-record 150 total bases and struck out just 10 times on the year. He also drove in 52 runs and scored 51 times, becoming just the third player in DI program history to drive in 50+ runs and score 50+ runs in the same season.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official website, www.NCBWA.com.