May 13, 2008
2008 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete 
Center Valley, Pa. - Bucknell senior Jason Buursma was voted the 2008 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, it was announced on Tuesday by Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich.
The scholar-athlete of the year award is voted on by the Patriot League's baseball sports information directors. Buursma earns the Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor after winning Player of the Year recognition last week. He becomes just the second Patriot League student-athlete to win both awards in the same sport this season, joining Colgate's Lyle Tolli who pulled off the feat in Indoor Track and Field.
The scholar-athlete award is the latest in a long line of honors for Buursma in his senior season. He earned attention for his success on and off the field as one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Buursma also remains on the candidate lists for the Brooks Wallace Award and Dick Howser Trophy, two honors that go to the collegiate baseball player of the year. He is the only student-athlete in the nation that is up for all three prestigious awards.
Buursma earned Player of the Year and First-Team All-League honors by leading the Patriot League with a .400 batting average and 11 home runs during the regular season. He became the fifth four-time All-League selection in Patriot League baseball annals, and his five overall All-League spots are tied for second all-time. Buursma also compiled a 5-3 record on the mound with a 3.16 earned run average, and improved those numbers in Bucknell's triumph in the Patriot League Tournament semifinal series against Army last weekend. He pitched seven scoreless innings with just one hit allowed to pick up both of the Bison's victories in the series and lead his team into this weekend's Patriot League Championship series at Navy. Buursma lowered his ERA to a League-best 2.87, and his seven wins also lead all players.
Buursma will also conclude his career with impressive spots in the Patriot League record book. His 22 home runs are seventh in League history, and his 2.23 career ERA currently ranks second in League annals. He is also in third place all-time with 15 saves. Buursma was selected in the 43rd round of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by his hometown Seattle Mariners.
Buursma's exploits off the field are equally impressive. He carries a 3.64 cumulative grade point average as an Economics major and Philosophy minor. Buursma earned his second consecutive ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first-team selection in 2008, and is on the candidate list for Academic All-America honors. He is a two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member, and has been on the Dean's List at Bucknell in six of seven semesters. Buursma studied abroad at Oxford in the fall of his junior year.
Buursma claims the fifth baseball scholar-athlete award for Bucknell, and second in the last three years after Matt Capece received the honor in 2006. Buursma is also the fourth baseball student-athlete to claim Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition in the same season. The most recent player to pull off that feat was Army's Schuyler Williamson in 2004.
To be eligible for the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen are not eligible for this honor.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each individual sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out over the summer. One male and one female are selected for this honor.
