Feb. 24, 2011

From Army Athletic Communications

West Point, N.Y. - Army senior OF/RHP Ben Koenigsfeld has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, it was announced on Thursday.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

Koenigsfeld, who became the first player in Patriot League history to earn first-team All-League honors at two different positions (pitcher and outfield) in the same season following his sophomore campaign, is the first Army baseball player to be considered for this prestigious award.

A two-time team captain, Koenigsfeld was also chosen as the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore and earned another first-team All-League certificate as an outfielder last season.

The New Port Richey, Fla., native boasts an overall record of 17-10 with a 5.17 ERA and 155 strikeouts during his Army career. As a junior last season, Koenigsfeld hit .359 with 10 doubles and 33 RBI. He entered this season as one of Collegiate Baseball Magazine's top players to watch.

Koenigsfeld has excelled in the classroom as well, maintaining a 3.62 GPA in American Law and Legal studies. He was selected as the Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year last spring, while also being named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America third team. Koenigsfeld has been listed on the Dean's List in each of his seven semesters at West Point.

From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in late April. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. The winner will be announced on June 24 at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 2011 candidate class includes 15 student-athletes with cumulative grade point averages of better than a 3.5, including three with perfect 4.0 GPAs. Seven are from teams ranked in the Collegiate Baseball preseason top 35 poll.

For the full release from the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award website, click here