Nick Faunce Tabbed Finalist for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

April 16, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Kansas senior captain Nick Faunce has been named one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I baseball.

Nationwide balloting begins immediately to determine the third annual winner, who will receive the award from Lowe’s, an Official Corporate Sponsor of the NCAA, during the NCAA Men’s College World Series this June in Omaha, Neb.

Faunce, a senior outfielder from Eugene, Ore., is currently batting .264 this season with eight doubles, two homers and 23 RBIs. He has a pair of outfield assists this season and has scored 15 runs. Faunce has also been phenomenal in the classroom, boasting a cumulative GPA over 3.6 in biochemistry. He is also a big part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Kansas.

The 10 finalists were chosen by a media committee from a list of 30 candidates based on qualities that define a complete student-athlete: classroom work, community involvement, character and competition.

The 10 players selected as finalists will be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award baseball ballot for a nationwide vote beginning today and concluding May 31. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website: www.seniorclassaward.com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award has developed into the nation’s premier tribute to college seniors. The award, which launched in 2001 with college basketball, is now in its third year for baseball. University of Alabama infielder Emeel Salem won the inaugural award in 2007, while Rice pitcher Cole St. Clair was the 2008 recipient.

Faunce and the 24th-ranked Jayhawks will travel to Texas Tech this weekend for a three-game series with the Red Raiders, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.