Wright named semifinalist for Two-Way Player of the Year
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University baseball junior Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) was named a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Wednesday.
Wright has excelled at the plate and on the mound for the Black and Gold this spring. Bryant's cleanup hitter and starting first baseman, he's batting .305 with 14 doubles, six home runs, 49 RBI and 43 runs scored, all career-highs. Wright's also walked a team-high 28 times and has a .401 OBP. He's posted 20 multi-hit games and is tied for the team lead with 15 multi-RBI games.
On the mound, Wright has been dominant at the backend of the Bryant bullpen. He leads all semifinalists and ranks 13th nationally with a DI program record-tying 12 saves. Wright has struck out 52 batters in 28 1/3 innings and would lead the country in strikeouts/9 (16.52) if he qualified. He earned a pair of saves in a series victory over Virginia Tech, a save and a win in a series victory over Elon and has allowed just 16 hits on the year.
Wright is one of 11 semifinalists on a list that includes players from East Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Georgia and Clemson. Earlier this year, Wright was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this summer.