Tanis Named Preseason Third-Team All-American by NCBWA, Louisville Slugger

MACON, Ga. – Not even a week removed from accepting his 2010 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship ring with his teammates, Mercer junior Jacob Tanis received more good news on Thursday afternoon. Both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Louisville Slugger have included Tanis on their 2011 Preseason All-America teams.

Tanis was named a third-team selection in both polls.

“I am very proud of Jake that he received this tremendous honor and we expect big things from him this upcoming season,” said head coach Craig Gibson. “To be named a Preseason All-American is a big deal and I think it speaks volumes about Jake and the rest of our guys in that we can now compete at the highest levels both regionally and nationally.”

Tanis was one of only two A-Sun Conference players to make an NCBWA Preseason All-America team, with ETSU’s senior first baseman Paul Hoilman the other selection. Tanis is, however, the only player from any of Georgia’s seven Division I institutions (Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Savannah State) to make it onto any of the NCBWA Preseason All-America teams.  

The Bears third baseman is coming off a monster sophomore campaign that saw him earn multiple accolades including being named to the A-Sun All-Conference first team, the Louisville Slugger All-American third team, the ABCA/Rawlings Division I All-South Region second team and being selected as Georgia Dugout Club Division I Player of the Year.

The Peachtree City, Ga. native had a banner year in 2010, putting up numbers that haven’t been seen in decades at Mercer. Tanis batted .388 with 104 hits, 25 doubles, 22 home runs, 88 RBI and 197 total bases. Tanis set the school single-season record for total bases, hits and doubles, while his 22 home runs and 88 RBI both rank second in Mercer single-season history.

Tanis and the rest of the Mercer Bears open up its 2011 season when they host Big South member Liberty for a four-game series from Feb. 18-20.