Jan. 17, 2008

BALTIMORE, MD - Johns Hopkins senior shortstop Jonas Fester (Dallas, TX/Syosset) was named a Preseason Second Team All-American by D3Baseball.com as the website released its preseason selections on Thursday. Fester, a First Team All-America selection by the ABCA last season, enters the 2008 season needing 12 more doubles to break the Hopkins and Centennial Conference record for doubles in a career.

Fester played in 48 games for the Blue Jays making 46 starts at shortstop. He led the Blue Jays in batting average (.405), at bats (190), runs (56), hits (77) and doubles (27). He was tied for the team lead in RBIs (51) and stolen bases (22). With a double in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional game against TCNJ, Fester tied the NCAA single-season record for doubles (27). He led the Centennial Conference in hits, runs scored, doubles and total bases (121) last season. Fester received numerous awards for his play last season including First Team ABCA All-American, First Team Mid-Atlantic Region and the Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Fester also was a First Team All-Centennial selection for the second straight year and a member of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team. Fester also excelled in the classroom, as he was an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District II First Team selection.

Fester and the Blue Jays captured their eighth Centennial Conference Championship in 2007 and advanced to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Final before falling to Kean, the eventual Division III National Champions in extra innings. The Blue Jays, who are ranked #10 in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Poll, will begin their title defense under head coach Bob Babb on March 1 when they host Rutgers-Newark in a double header. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 noon.

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