Virginia's Ryan Zimmerman Named An All-American By Baseball America & NCBWA

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June 17, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Recently drafted University of Virginia baseball player Ryan Zimmerman (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) was named a 2005 All-American by Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Baseball America named Zimmerman a Second Team All-American, while the NCBWA selected him as a Third Team All-American.

Zimmerman, a third-year third baseman for the Cavaliers, recently ended his UVa playing career when he was drafted in the first round as the fourth overall pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2005 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft last week (June 7th). He became the highest drafted Cavalier ever in the MLB Draft and just the third Virginia player to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.

For his career, Zimmerman started all 174 games he appeared in (at third base or shortstop) and recorded 250 hits, 140 RBI, 128 runs, 47 doubles, seven triples and nine home runs. He was also successful on 32 of his 39 stolen bases attempts for his career. Zimmerman ended his UVa career ranked in several Virginia career statistical categories such as fifth in doubles (47), sixth in hits (250) and seventh in RBI (140) after three seasons of action. He also established a new school record for most hits in a single season with 92 in 2005, breaking his own former school record of 90 from last season (2004).

This past season (2005), Zimmerman was named a 2005 Second Team All-ACC selection and was named to the 2005 ACC All-Tournament Team. Zimmerman started all 61 games he appeared in at either third base (his primary position) or shortstop. He led Virginia with a .393 batting average, 92 hits, 59 RBI, 51 runs, 18 doubles, four triples, .581 slugging percentage, 136 total bases and 17 stolen bases (17-for-21). He also recorded six home runs and struck out just 14 times all season.

Zimmerman was named a 2005 Second Team Preseason All-American by Baseball America and was selected a 2005 Second Team Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He was also named a 2005 Third Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

Zimmerman was named USA Baseball’s Athlete of the Year and was also selected to Baseball America’s 2004 First Team Summer League All-America Team. He guided Team USA to a gold medal finish and earned tournament MVP honors in the World University Games while winning the team Triple Crown en route to setting the US National Team single-season records for batting average (.468).

In 2004, Zimmerman was named a First Team All-ACC selection and was an Honorable Mention All-American choice by College Baseball Insider. He was also named to the 2004 Charlottesville Regional All-Tournament Team and to the 2004 VaSID All-State Team.

— UVa —