Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball's Buursma Appears on Revised Wallace Watch List
5/31/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 31, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Just hours before helping the Bucknell baseball team pull off the biggest upset in school and Patriot League history, senior co-captain Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) was selected as one of 64 players who appeared on the latest Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List, The College Baseball Foundation announced yesterday evening.
The selection committee will narrow the "Wallace Watch" throughout the remainder of the season and the three Wallace Award finalists will be announced following NCAA Super Regional play, with the winner being announced on July 2.
Buursma helped the Bison become the first Patriot League team to ever win an opening round NCAA Tournament game as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI in Bucknell's 7-0 victory over national No. 4 seed Florida State at the Tallahassee Regional last night. He currently leads the offense for the Orange and Blue with a .376 batting average and has totaled 35 runs scored on 56 hits with seven doubles, one triple, 12 home runs and 36 RBI.
Buursma has collected a number of major awards this spring as he was recently selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team as a designated hitter in addition to being named the 2008 Patriot League Player of the Year, the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Patriot League Tournament MVP. He has also appeared on the Dick Howser Trophy watch list and was selected as one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Buursma earned a First Team All-Patriot League selection as an outfielder this season, which marked the fifth all-league recognition of his career. He is the first Bucknell player to collect five all-league accolades, matching the second-highest total in league history. On Apr. 29, Buursma was recognized among his peers at Bucknell as he won the Christy Mathewson Award at Bucknell's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, presented to the most outstanding athletes in the senior class.
Through three-plus seasons with the Orange and Blue, Buursma has become one of the most decorated players in program history, earning a spot on the ABCA All-East Region First Team as a relief pitcher in 2006, in addition to his five all-league accolades. He was taken in 43rd Round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners as a pitcher and is a two-time member of the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List.
Buursma holds the school's career saves record with 15 and finished 2007 with the second-lowest ERA in Patriot League history, 1.65. This season, Buursma broke the school record for home runs against Lehigh on Apr. 27 when he hit his 22nd of his career. He also surpassed the program's single-season wins record, logging his ninth victory of the year on the mound in game two of the Patriot League championship series at Navy, which secured the fourth Patriot League title in program history.
Buursma was honored as the 2008 Patriot League Tournament MVP after he accomplished the remarkable feat of recording all four of Bucknell's tournament wins en route to the championship. In the semifinals, he came out of the bullpen to post both victories as the No. 4-seeded Bison knocked off top-seeded Army, 2-1, in the three-game series. He followed up in the championship round by logging two more wins in relief outings, carrying Bucknell to a two-game sweep of Navy. Buursma finished the league tournament with a 0.00 ERA in 10.0 innings on the mound, allowed just three hits, struck out eight and walked none for an opponent's batting average of .091. He also scored the winning runs in both contests against the Mids as the Orange and Blue battled back from five-run deficits to win both games.
Buursma currently boasts a 9-3 record with a 2.72 ERA in 19 appearances for a total of 79.1 innings. He has recorded 75 strikeouts and has walked only 10 as opponents are currently hitting just .233 against him.
The Bison are in action tonight at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, playing Tulane at 7 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium.
