Tom Murphy Named First-Team All-Region

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo baseball sophomore Tom Murphy has been named to the NCAA Mideast Region First Team, the American Baseball Coaches Association announced this past weekend.  Murphy, the 2011 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, is the first UB player named to the first team and just the second player honored since reinstatement in 2000.

"Speaking on behalf of the selection committee, I feel that this year's Mideast Region players are very deserving of this recognition," said Ohio University head coach Joe Carbone, chairman of the NCAA Mideast Region All-America Committee.  "They head a long list of impressive players and represent a lot of very good teams from around the region."

One of the team's captains and leaders, Murphy was a two-time MAC East Player of the Week. He ranked among the top five of the conference in home runs (10), on-base percentage (.446) and slugging percentage (.626), along with claiming the batting title with a .384 batting average over 52 games.

For the season, he has assaulted the Buffalo record books, putting his name in the top ten of six different single-season records. His .626 slugging percentage was the fourth highest of any player in Buffalo history with more than 125 at bats. He has been the go-to force as a run producer, driving in 44 runs this season, fifth most in a single season in Bulls history thanks to 11 different games with two or more runs batted in.

He was a constant on the base paths, leading the team with 22 multi-hit games, highlighted by six games with three or more hits and also a team-best 13 game hit streak. He also added seven steals. The most impressive number for Murphy has been four - the number of games all season where he did not reach base safely at least one time. Earlier in the season against North Carolina Central, Murphy also set a program record with three home runs in a game (3/19).

Murphy joins Brad Agustin, who was named to the second team last season.