PITTSBURGH – After completing one of the best seasons in program history, en route to a fourth-round draft selection, former Pitt shortstop Charles Leblanc has been named a Perfect Game All-American.
(Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics)
This is the second All-America honor for the Laval, Quebec native who was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-American earlier this month.
“It is incredible the amount of well-deserved recognition that Charles is racking up this off-season,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “He really worked hard this past year and it paid huge dividends both at Pitt and professionally. We are very proud of him.”
Leblanc won the ACC’s batting title, hitting .409 in 49 starts as Pitt’s sophomore shortstop. He recorded 79 hits in 195 at-bats, leading the Panthers with 46 RBIs, adding nine doubles, three triples and two home runs. In addition, he drew 30 walks and was 7-8 in stolen base attempts. His average was the highest in the ACC since 2009 when Dustin Ackley of North Carolina hit .417, as he wrapped up the regular season ranked 13th in the nation.
He was named the ACC Player of the Week on April 4 after going 11-of-17 in a mid-week battle against Kent State and a three-game road series with Clemson. He had a six-RBI performance in a 15-5 victory over Clemson en route to his first weekly honor.
Leblanc was named first-team All-ACC for his efforts, becoming the first Panther to land on the ACC’s first team. Four Panthers were awarded league postseason honors, the first Pitt players to garner All-ACC recognition since the university joined the ACC in 2013. In addition, he was named one of three finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, annually given to the nation’s top shortstop.
On Friday, June 10, Leblanc was selected with the 129th overall pick of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player draft, as a fourth round selection of the Texas Rangers. He was assigned to the Spokane Indians, the Rangers’ Class A Short Season affiliate.
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