FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2014
Courtesy of SNHU Athletics Communications
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern New Hampshire University baseball senior starting pitcher Derrick Sylvester was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America baseball team as a First Team selection, it was announced on Thursday. It marks the second time Sylvester has been named a Capital One Academic All-American, as he was a Third Team selection in 2013.
Sylvester becomes just the third SNHU athlete to be a two-time Capital One Academic All-American. Sylvester is also just the fourth Penmen student-athlete to earn First Team accolades.
A total of 14 Southern New Hampshire student-athletes have been named Capital One Academic All-Americans, accounting for 17 total selections. The Capital One Academic All-America and All-District teams are selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Sylvester, a Psychology major, was a consensus All-Region selection and a Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference choice for the Penmen in 2014. In 14 appearances (13 starts) for Southern New Hampshire, he compiled a 9-2 record and 2.59 earned run average while striking out 100 batters and walking just 32 in 93.2 innings of work. Tossing four complete games, he recorded at least 10 strikeouts three times, including a career-best 15 punchouts in a win over Bentley University in the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship. Opposing batters hit .232 off the righthander in 2014.
The Franklin HS product closed out his career as SNHU's all-time leader in victories, posting a 20-7 mark over four seasons, while his 231 career strikeouts are good for third in program annals. Southern New Hampshire's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013-14, Sylvester was also a Northeast-10 All-Academic Team selection in 2013.
Southern New Hampshire finished the 2014 season 41-14 overall, posting the second-most victories in program history. The Penmen captured their first-ever Northeast-10 Northeast Division regular season title, as well as their first NE-10 Championship crown, and qualified for and hosted the NCAA East Regional for the third straight season.