May 31, 2012

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Saint Louis senior reliever Travis Parker and Dayton senior shortstop Brian Blasik garnered Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-America honors, as announced today by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Parker was named to the Second Team, while Blasik was selected to the Third Team.

Parker is one of two relief pitchers on the second team, after one was chosen for the first team. He did not allow an earned run all season, posting a 3-1 ledger in a school-record 27 appearances. Parker recorded a school-record 12 saves and struck out 32 batters. He owns the school record with 22 career saves and ends his career with a 1.61 ERA in 50 appearances.

This season, Parker helped SLU set the school record in wins as the Billikens went 41-18. SLU also claimed a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title for the first time in school history.

Parker becomes Saint Louis baseball's first All-American since Mike Barger claimed third-team honors in 1993. John Jones and John Marcum earned All-America status in 1959 and 1965, respectively.

Blasik, the only three-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection in UD baseball history, enters the NCAA tournament batting .344, with 56 runs scored, 46 RBI and a school-record 35 stolen bases. He also holds the Flyer career record for stolen bases (64). He is the first Flyer to earn All-America honors.

The Valley View High School and Dayton Classics product led Dayton in batting average (.344), hits (84), doubles (21) and triples (3), in addition to stolen bases. He had 25 multi-hit games, including nine with three hits. He is also top five in career average, hits and doubles.

UD earned its first berth in the NCAA tournament by winning the A-10 championship last Saturday. The Flyers will take on the number eight team in the nation, Texas A&M, in College Station, Texas on Friday. The game will be televised on ESPN3.com. First pitch is at 7:35 p.m. ET.