Senior CLASS Award 2013 Candidates
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Cal State Fullerton senior first baseman Carlos Lopez was one of 30 NCAA® baseball student-athletes selected as candidates today for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate baseball.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
A three-time Big West All-Academic selection (2010, 2011, 2012), Lopez is currently competing in his fourth season in a Titan uniform. He was named the Cal State Fullerton Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2011 and 2012, and was also named to the Capitol One Academic All-District team in 2011. Lopez has been named to the Dean's List twice, and he currently boasts a 3.41 GPA. He has completed requirements for a Communications Entertainment degree, and is currently pursuing a minor in American Studies.
A native of Northridge, Calif., Lopez has started all eight games this season for the Titans as 17th-ranked Fullerton has started the year with an undefeated 8-0 record, its best mark since 2003. He is batting .323 with five RBIs, 10 hits, six runs scored, one double, one triple and four stolen bases.
During his Titan career, Lopez manages a .337 batting average (217-for-644) with 43 doubles, eight triples, 125 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
Lopez returned to the diamond as Fullerton's starting first baseman in 2013 after earning Big West Conference First Team honors in 2012 and hitting .317 while playing in all 57 games. Lopez has participated in three consecutive postseason appearances at CSF, including a run to the Super Regionals in 2010 during his freshman campaign.
During the past four years with Lopez on the roster, the Titans have totaled a remarkable 131-56 (.700) record. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Lopez was named to the Big West Conference second team, received freshman All-America honors, and was selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-West Region second team. Lopez has also performed at his best in the postseason, earning all-tournament nods at the Fullerton Regionals in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Lopez is the only student-athlete from the Big West Conference that was selected as a candidate.
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.
The 2013 candidate class includes 15 candidates who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Five were named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American team, and four were All-Americans.
The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA College World Series® in Omaha June 15-26.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Baseball Candidates
Mark Appel, Stanford
Shane Basen, Charlotte
Blake Beemer, Ball State
Brandon Boudreaux, Tulane
Chase Brookshire, Belmont
Joe Burg, Hofstra
Chase Byerly, Butler
Nick Camastro, Manhattan
Boomer Collins, Dallas Baptist
Johnny Coy, Wichita State
LB Dantzler, South Carolina
Jordan Enos, Holy Cross
Michael Felton, Campbell
Nick Ferraresi, Columbia
Mitch Garver, New Mexico
Sean Hagan, St. John's
Reed Harper, Austin Peay
Mike Le Bel, Rhode Island
Carlos Lopez, Cal State Fullerton
Jeff Melillo, Rutgers
Alex Mendez, South Florida
Austin Montgomery, Southern Illinois
Matt Pare, Boston
Colton Plaia, Loyola Marymount
Raph Rhymes, LSU
Chris Rowley, Army
John Sheridan, Brown
John Straka, North Dakota State
Brandon Thomas, Georgia Tech
Greg Zebrack, Southern California