PEMBROKE – Three-time All-Peach Belt Conference standout River Ryan continued to stockpile the postseason hardware on Friday afternoon when the redshirt junior utility player was named to a pair of all-America squads, including a first-team nod from the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).
 
With the announcement, Ryan becomes the 14th player in the last 13 full seasons to earn all-America honors for the UNC Pembroke baseball program. It is the ninth time in the last 13 full seasons that the Black & Gold has had at least one player decorated with the laurel from at least one of the three national organizations.
 
An all-conference pick at second base, relief pitcher and utility player, Ryan was a threat both on the mound and at the plate, serving as the everyday second baseman for the Black & Gold, as well as the staff closer and part-time starter on the bump. He hit .349 (66-for-189) with 55 runs scored, posted a team-best 51 RBI and shared the team lead with nine home runs. On the mound, Ryan registered a 5-1 record, a staff-best 3.66 earned run average and a PBC-leading six saves in 51-2/3 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts and just 18 walks. He also limited opponents to a paltry .202 batting average.
 
Ryan raked in PBC Pitcher of the Week laurels on April 20 following an 11-strikeout, 146-pitch (101 strikes) complete-game outing against then-No. 21 North Georgia that inevitably helped the Braves clinch the first PBC regular season championship in program history. He fueled his lofty offensive numbers with a team-best 22 multiple-hit games and 13 multiple-RBI outings.
 
The Huntersville native, who is expected to draw heavy interest in next month's Major League Baseball Draft, has played in 138 games (136 starts) over his collegiate career in the Black & Gold, while registering a .343 (182-for-530) batting average with 56 extra-base hits (12 HR), 119 RBI and 144 runs scored. As a right-handed hurler, he has registered an 8-1 record, a 2.32 career ERA and a dozen saves, while also striking out 114 batters (30 walks) in 93.0 innings of work.