SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College student-athlete Matt Ramsay has been named to the 2015 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America Baseball First Team, which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

According to Ramsay, however, this recognition is not the highlight of his baseball career. “Being part of the program's transformation will forever be one of my greatest accomplishments; I consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to do it alongside my best friends,” he says.

A Wofford graduate in the class of 2015 and native of Hudson, Ohio, Ramsay says that the team’s work ethic — on the field, in the classroom, in the batting cage and the bullpen — is the reason the team posted the best season in college history. He attributes his recent national recognition to the team’s support.

“This baseball program was absolutely the perfect fit for me,” says Ramsay. “It was easy to work hard at Wofford because everyone else was. I’m a member of an entire team of overachievers.”

Ramsay started 60 games this season with 49 as the designated hitter and 11 as an outfielder. Among Southern Conference leaders, he was second in batting average at .359 and was second in on-base percentage. He led the league in hits with 84, was seventh in runs scored and fourth in walks received. His 84 hits rank as the fifth most in a single season at Wofford. He was named second team All-Southern Conference.

During his career Ramsay played in 163 games with 141 starts. He had 161 career hits, 73 career RBIs and 48 stolen bases.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletics and academic standings and be nominated by the sports information director.

Ramsay is only the fourth Wofford baseball player to earn Academic All-America honors, joining Lane Glaze (1988), Justin Laughlin (1993, 1994) and David Dufour (2004). Ramsay is the sixth Academic All-American at Wofford in the past four years and the eighth Wofford student-athlete to earn First Team All-America honors, the most recent being Brad Loesing (men’s basketball, 2012).

“This is a tremendous honor for Matt,” says head coach Todd Interdonato. “He always does things the right way both in the classroom and on the field, and it is great for him to be recognized for that on a national level.”
Ramsay graduated magna cum laude as a double major in economics and finance this May. In July he begins work in the internal audit department with Sherwin Williams in Cleveland, Ohio.

By Sarah Madden, Class of 2017