BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University senior catcher Matt Rice has been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-South Central Region First Team, and will now be considered for ABCA All-America honors.
Rice also earned first-team recognition in 2010 and was named to the second-team in 2009.
The all-region teams are selected through a voting process of college head coaches in each specific region. The American Baseball Coaches Association was founded in 1945 and has more than 5,000 members nation- and world-wide.
Rice finished his four-year Hilltopper career with a .372 career average, having played in 216 games and as the school record holder in career hits and RBIs. He was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree and was named the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year.
The Johnson City, Tenn., native is ranked among the top 10 in seven major offensive categories, including runs, doubles, home runs, walks and at-bats. A two-time semi-finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, Rice finished his career with a .992 fielding percentage.
Rice was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth round of the recently-concluded Major League Baseball First-Year player draft.
WKU has produced eight All-South Central Region selections over the last three seasons.
