Badger Named NCBWA District Player of the Year
Jun 21 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Senior 2B Graig Badger (Union, NJ) has been named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) District II Player of the Year. Badger is one of nine Division I players from across the country to earn such an honor.
Rutgers' leadoff hitter and starting second baseman, Badger hit .364 and led the team with a .502 on-base percentage and 26 steals in 2004. He also reached base in all 53 games and ended his career by reaching in 119 of his final 120 games. In 2004, Badger set career highs in average, hits (72), doubles (11), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.485), hit by pitch (12) and assists (147).
The school's all-time leader in walks with 143, Badger set the single season mark in 2003 with 56 and led the BIG EAST again in 2004 with 44. He also stole a school-record 41 bases in 2003 and finished his RU career second in thefts with 83. His .466 career on-base percentage is also the best in school history.
Following the season, Badger signed a free agent contract prior to the draft with the Toronto Blue Jays and is currently playing for the Pulaski (VA) Blue Jays in the Appalachian League.
The nine geographic areas of each District are broken down as follows:
District I: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
District II: Connecticut, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, D.C.
District III: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
District IV: Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland
District V: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
District VI: Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota
District VII: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana
District VIII: Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Montana
District IX: California, Oregon, Washington, Hawai'i, Arizona, Alaska4 NCBWA
DIV. I DISTRICT PLAYERS OF THE
NCBWA District Players of the Year
Dist.
Player
School
Pos.
Ht.
Wt
Cl.
Hometown
I
Ed Lucas
Dartmouth
3B
6-4
205
Sr.
Deltona, Fla.
II
Craig Badger
Rutgers
2B
5-9
177
Sr.
Union, N.J.
III
Stephen Head
Mississippi
1B/P
6-2
220
So.
Raymond, Miss.
IV
Ryan Jones
East Carolina
OF
5-7
177
Sr.
Gibsonia, Pa.
V
Seth Bynum
Indiana
SS
6-0
185
Sr.
Louisville, Ky.
VI
Alex Gordon
Nebraska
3B
6-1
215
So.
Lincoln, Neb.
VII
J.P. Howell
Texas
P
6-1
180
Jr.
Sacramento, Calif.
VIII
Eric Nielsen
UNLV
OF
6-0
220
Jr.
Las Vegas, Nev.
IX
Jered Weaver
Long Beach State
P
6-7
205
Jr.
Simi Valley, Calif.
