The 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Small College World Series kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with its annual Awards Banquet and nine Builders were recognized for their success on the field as well as the classroom.
On the field, two Builders were named to the first team USCAA All-American team in seniors Ryan Hendrickson and Sam Massie. Hendrickson, a pipefitter apprentice from Yorktown, earned his first USCAA All-American honor after hitting .387 in the regular season with 46 hits. He had 15 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games along with reaching base in 30 straight games dating back to the 2014 season. Hendrickson drove in four runs against Saint Vincent College on March 15 and had a stretch earlier this year with nine multi-hit games in a 12-game span which included five games in a row.
Massie, an electrician apprentice from Hampton, finishes his career as the second four-time USCAA All-American for the baseball team with his third first team honor. A relief pitcher for the majority of his career, he has thrown a career-high 38.1 innings this year with 56 strikeouts. He struck out 12 in 6.1 innings of work against Virginia Wesleyan College in early April and is ranked among the USCAA leaders in saves with four this year. On the year, Massie is 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA.
Earning second team honors are a pair of juniors in Brock Harris and Mark Labrador. Harris, a pipefitter apprentice from Scottsville, Va., has been the leadoff hitter for most of the year and has held the centerfield spot throughout the season. He is third on the team in batting average at .357 while tied with Hendrickson for second most hits with 46. Harris has had 14 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games topped by going 4-for-4 with three RBI against Central Penn College.
Labrador joins Harris on the second team honor squad. A pipefitter apprentice from Casselberry, Fl., Labrador has topped the team in batting average this year with a .412 batting average, hits (54), doubles (10), triples (4) and RBI (36). After starting the year in the infield, he moved to right field and has thrown out three runners. He has had 15 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games. Labrador started the year with a 15-game hitting streak and after a pair of games has now hit safely in 18 straight games.
Also being recognized on Tuesday was the USCAA All-Academic team in which seven Builders were honored for having a 3.5 grade point average or higher. Those included: Hendrickson, Massie, Cody Norris, Jordan Cowles, Lee Rossi, Hayden Champigny and Christian Burton.
The Builders open play on Wednesday night at 6:30 pm when they face fourth-seeded Rochester College at War Memorial Stadium. Games start Wednesday morning at 8:30 am with the championship game scheduled for 2:30 pm on Saturday afternoon.