Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Ben Yoder Named Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Year
5/11/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 11, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell freshman infielder Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) was named the Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Year, the Patriot League office announced on Friday. He becomes the second Bison in history to win the award, which was first created in 2002, as 2006 graduate Phil Futrick earned the honor in 2003.
Yoder made his first collegiate start at Virginia in Bucknell's third contest of the year and finished 2007 with 31 appearances in the starting lineup. The second baseman played in 37 of the squad's 40 games on the season and finished second on the team with a .317 batting average, while tying for second with 21 runs scored. He totaled 38 hits, five doubles, two triples and 12 RBI in his freshman campaign and hit .311 in Patriot League play.
Yoder registered 12 multiple-hit games for the Orange and Blue, which matched the second-highest total on the squad this year. His longest hitting streak of the season spanned eight contests and he ended 2007 with an active six-game hitting streak.
A two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Yoder earned the honor on back-to-back Tuesdays. On Mar. 27, he received the accolade after leading the squad in hitting against Mount St. Mary's as he went 5-for-9 in Bucknell's doubleheader split, for a .556 batting average. In the Bison's 7-0 victory, Yoder hit 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Then in game two, a 4-3 setback for the Bison, he went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
The following week on Apr. 3, Yoder was recognized by the league again after hitting safely in every contest in a 4-1 week for the Orange and Blue. On the week, Yoder went 10-for-21 for a .476 average, posted a .619 slugging percentage and totaled seven runs scored, three doubles and three RBI.
Yoder is one of eight regular starters that are expected to return for Bucknell in 2008. The Bison finished the 2007 campaign with a record of 16-24, 8-12 in the Patriot League.
