By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Even with under a week until the 2015 season opener, Tennessee Tech shortstop Dylan Bosheers can't seem to keep his name hidden when it comes to preseason honors.
The senior collected yet another accolade before even seeing a pitch during the 2015 campaign, as College Sports Madness named him to its Preseason All-American Third Team Monday morning.
For Bosheers, it marked his third preseason All-American nod this winter as he also took home All-America Third Team honors from NCBWA and Louisville Slugger Third Team honors from Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
Bosheers has quietly worked his way into becoming one of the best players in the country after arriving at Tech as a freshman in 2012. The senior has started every game of his career, playing at second base as a freshman before finding his permanent home between second and third base. His 169 consecutive starts currently ranks second in the nation, just one game behind Alex Perez of Virginia Tech.
One of just 10 semifinalists named to the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Watch List last season, Bosheers took home three All-America awards in 2014 after batting an impressive .368 with 86 hits and 66 runs scored (third in the nation) in 59 games. Just a junior at the time, he shattered his previous season-best mark of six home runs by clubbing 11 while also driving in 56 runs to go along with a slugging percentage of .577.
A native of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Bosheers played spectacular defense on his way to being named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, making just nine errors all year for a fielding percentage of .965. He became the first Tennessee Tech player to be invited to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier wood-bat, summer league in all of collegiate baseball and earned his first All-OVC First Team honors after receiving Second Team accolades in 2013 and a spot on the All-Freshman team in 2012.
Photo by Tony Marable