Frazier Earns Another First Team All-America Honor
Jun 21 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers junior shortstop Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) was named a Rawlings First Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), while senior second baseman Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) was named to the group's inaugural Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
The honor is Frazier's fifth First Team All-America accolade, earning a spot on the nation's premiere team by every coach's and media publication. He also earned First Team All-America laurels by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Rivals.com. Frazier was the 34th overall selection and second pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft earlier this month.
Bionde was one of nine recipients of the newly-introduced Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The starting second baseman for the Scarlet Knights the last two seasons was named to the Division I Gold Glove Team by the ABCA. He was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 35th round (1,081st overall pick) of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft earlier this month.
Frazier, a junior shortstop, was also a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace and Golden Spikes Award, honoring the National Player of the Year. He painted himself throughout the Rutgers record book in 2007, finishing in the top-6 in every single-season offensive category, excluding triples. He broke the Rutgers single-season record for home runs (22), home runs by a leadoff hitter (22), runs scored (87), walks (62), doubles (24) and total bases (187), all set this season. He also finished second in slugging percentage (.757), second in at bats (247), tied for third in runs batted in (65), fifth in hits (93), and tied for sixth in stolen bases (25).
Frazier, who was also a First Team All-East selection and the District II Player of the Year by the ABCA, has placed himself on several Rutgers career record charts through just three seasons. He is the Scarlet Knights' all-time leader in home runs (42) and runs scored (210), and is second in walks (138) and total bases (434), and third in hits (241), slugging percentage (.625) and stolen bases (65), and fifth in runs batted in (152).
Frazier, who played with the USA Baseball National Team last summer, was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year by unanimous selection at the conclusion of the regular season. He finished the season fourth in the nation in home runs (22), fourth in runs per game (1.38), eighth in walks per game (0.98) and 11th in home run per game (0.35).
Bionde started all 63 games for the Scarlet Knights at second base this season. He had just six errors in 319 chances for a stellar .981 fielding percentage. The senior has been a sure middle infielder for Rutgers throughout his career. Bionde, who began his career as RU's starting shortstop in 2003 before missing the 2004 and 2005 seasons due to injury, made the near flawless transition to second base in 2006 and 2007. He turned the final leg in a rare triple play during the 2007 season against Notre Dame. Overall, he contributed to 50 of the team's 60 double plays this season.
Rutgers, which won the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament titles, tied the school record for wins in a season with a 42-21 record in 2007. The Scarlet Knights ended their season ranked 30th in the national polls.
