ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Ranta Named Second Team Academic All-District VIII

NEWBERG, Ore. - Showing his prowess both on the field and in the classroom, George Fox University ace right-hander Brian Ranta has been named to the Capital One / CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII College Division Baseball Second Team as voted on by district members of the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Ranta, a junior from Clackamas, Ore., and Rex Putnam High School, has posted an 8-2 record this season with a 2.40 earned run average, striking out 65 while walking only nine in 86.1 innings of work.  He leads the Bruin staff in wins, strikeouts, starts (12), complete games (4), including one shutout, and has held opposing batters to a .231 average.

In NCAA Division III national statistics (thru May 1), Ranta is tied for ninth in wins and ranks 13th in fewest walks per nine innings (0.96).  In Northwest Conference stats (thru May 1), he is tied for first in wins and is third in starts, innings and strikeouts, sixth in opponents’ batting average, and seventh in ERA. 

Ranta has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week twice this season, the NWC Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week three times, and been honorable mention for NWC pitching honors four times.  He was an honorable mention All-NWC selection last year while going 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 71.1 innings

Academically, Ranta has compiled a grade point average of 3.32 through five semesters while majoring in Engineering.

District VIII of CoSIDA consists of all sports information directors and college sports media relations personnel from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawai'i, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. This is the first year for the CoSIDA Academic All-America program to be sponsored by Capital One.

Complete Academic All-District and All-America Teams may be found on line on the CoSIDA web site at http://www.cosida.com/Academic%20All-America/aaaselections.aspx.