OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Cal State Fullerton senior first baseman Carlos Lopez was selected as one of 10 NCAA baseball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award, it was announced today.
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.
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 finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in February. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or on the Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through June 10. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA College World Series® in Omaha June 15-26.
A three-time Big West All-Academic selection (2010, 2011, 2012), Lopez is now 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.
Currently the Titans (34-6, 10-2) are off to their best start to the season for Fullerton since 1996. Cal State Fullerton is at the top of the Big West Conference standings, and is currently ranked fourth in the nation.
Lopez, Fullerton's starting first baseman, leads the Titans with 13 stolen bases, while batting .331 this season with 51 hits and a team-leading 32 runs scored. In addition, the native of Northridge, Calif., has driven in 20 runs.
Lopez's career batting average rests at .336 while his 258 career hits rank sixth all-time at Fullerton. In addition, during his four years on the diamond, he has totaled 125 runs scored, 46 doubles, 11 home runs, 140 RBIs, 86 walks and 33 stolen bases.
In addition, Lopez's 767 career at-bats rank seventh all-time at Fullerton, while his 205 games played tie for 10th. Lopez's 10 triples tie for eighth in career history.
During the past four years with Lopez on the roster, the Titans have totaled a remarkable 157-62 (.717) 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.
Baseball Finalists
Mark Appel, Stanford
Shane Basen, Charlotte
Chase Brookshire, Belmont
Boomer Collins, Dallas Baptist
LB Dantzler, South Carolina
Carlos Lopez, Cal State Fullerton
Alex Mendez, South Florida
Raph Rhymes, LSU
Chris Rowley, Army
Brandon Thomas, Georgia Tech