Fort Hays State junior outfielder Ryan Busboom was honored with his second All-American selection for the 2012 season on Wednesday, May 30. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) selected Busboom to the All-America First Team in the outfield, his second first-team honor for 2012 after being named to the Daktronics All-America First Team the previous week.
Busboom earns this distinction after earning a first-team selection to the NCBWA All-South Central Region Team. He was also a Daktronics All-South Central Region First Team selection and the Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year.
Busboom was a force at the plate in 2012, leading the MIAA and South Central Region in RBI with 66. He also led the MIAA in home runs with 16, slugging percentage (.718), hits (78) and total bases (145). Entering the final week of the regular season, Busboom owned the MIAA lead in all three triple crown stats, but ended the regular season fourth in the batting average race. After helping the Tigers to their first-ever MIAA Baseball Championship Tournament final and a record of 29-24, Busboom ended the year with a .386 batting average. He finished the year with 34 extra-base hits (17 doubles, 1 triple and 16 home runs) and 50 runs scored.
Busboom is referenced along with five other players from the MIAA on the NCBWA All-America Team for 2012. Lee Stoppelman, starting pitcher from Central Missouri, and Joe Vaskas, designated hitter from Emporia State, each earned second team honors. John Calhoun of Washburn was a third-team selection at third base. Eric Dawson of Emporia State was an honorable mention selection at second base.
NCBWA 2012 ALL-AMERICA TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nathan Minnich, Sr., Shepherd
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Timothy Flight, Jr., Southern New Hampshire
COACH OF THE YEAR: Charlie Migl, St. Mary’s
ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
Catcher: Geno Escalante, jr., Mount Olive
First Baseman: Nathan Minnich, Sr., Shepherd
Second Baseman: Joe Wendle, Sr., West Chester
Third Baseman: Joe Lippencott, Sr., Concordia-St. Paul
Shortstop: Blake Miller, Jr., Western Oregon
Outfielder: Casey Allison, Sr., Wingate
Outfielder: Ryan Busboom, Jr., Fort Hays State
Outfielder: Zach Taylor, Jr., Armstrong Atlantic
Utility Player/DH: Anthony Boza, Sr., Lynn
Starting Pitcher: Timothy Flight, jr., So. New Hampshire
Starting Pitcher: Carl O’Neal, Jr., St. Mary’s
Starting Pitcher: Grady Wood, Sr., Western Oregon
Relief Pitcher: Stephen Johnson, Jr., St. Edward’s