May 28, 2007
OSHKOSH, WI - Johns Hopkins junior Jonas Fester (Dallas, TX/Syosset) and senior Rob Sanzillo (Katonah, NY/Somers) were named to the ABCA All-America squad as was announced at the College World Series on Sunday. Fester earns First Team All-America honors at shortstop while Sanzillo was a Third Team All-America selection at catcher. The pair becomes the first Blue Jays to earn All-America honors since 2004 while Fester is the first Blue Jay to earn first team honors since John Christ in 1998.
Fester earns ABCA All-America honors for the first time in his career after being selected First Team Mid-Atlantic Region and the Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year. A First Team All-Centennial selection, he batted .405 in 48 games for the Blue Jays. Fester tied the NCAA single-season doubles record with a career-high 27 two-baggers this year. He set a career-high in almost every offensive category and led the team with 167 assists in the field. Fester was one of four Blue Jays to reach 100 hits for his career this season. He excelled not only on the field but also in the classroom this year, as he was a CoSIDA Academic All-District II First Team selection. Fester was also named to the Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team.
Sanzillo earns ABCA All-America honors for the first time in his career after earning Mid-Atlantic Region honors the last two years. The Centennial Conference Player of the Year, he finished the season batting .384. Sanzillo had a team-best eight home runs and tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 22. He went over the 100 career hit mark and became the 13th player at JHU to reach 100 career hits, 100 career runs scored and 100 career RBIs with his home run in the NCAA Tournament Regional game against Elizabethtown.
The Blue Jays completed the season with a mark of 38-11, 15-3 in the Centennial Conference. Hopkins is ranked #12 in the latest ABCA poll as the team played the most games in school history and amassed the second most wins in school history. The Blue Jays won their eighth Centennial Conference Championship this year and advanced to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship before falling to Kean. Fester returns next year to help lead the Blue Jays in defense of their Centennial Conference title.
- 30 -
