STATESBORO - Georgia Southern University's Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) agreed to terms on a contract with the Atlanta Braves. Shehan will report to the Rookie Class A Danville (Va.) Braves in the Appalachian League. On Wednesday (June 11), Shehan was named Pro-Line Athletic First Team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Shehan is the first Eagle since Scott Hensley in 2001 to earn All-America status and he was the only Southern Conference representative on the First Team. Shehan, a 30th round pick by the Braves last week, joined senior Jeremy Beckham (17th round, Tampa Bay) and junior Blake Nation (22nd round, Seattle) in getting drafted.
In just three years, Shehan ended his career with the third-best career batting average in program history, a .376 clip (254-676). He tied for ninth in career hits and ranked seventh scoring 182 runs. Shehan narrowly missed the career 'Top 10' listings in: doubles (48), home runs (34), total bases (414), walks (93), RBI (160) and stolen bases (40-46).
"They (Atlanta) made an attractive offer and it was hard to turn down. This is a great opportunity to start my professional career with a great organization," said Shehan, who saw his older brother also play in the Braves organization.
Shehan paced the 2008 offense with record numbers. The SoCon's 'Player of the Year' (sports media association) batted .438 - the fourth highest single-season average. He became the fifth Eagle to be named SoCon 'Player of the Year'.
Starting in all 58 games, Shehan tallied 84 runs scored (GS season record), 77 RBI (tied 9th), 17 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs (tied 8th), .557 on-base percentage, 53 walks (tied 8th), 22-of-24 stolen bases, 187 total bases (tied 6th) and six outfield assists. A Third Team Academic All-District pick, Shehan recorded a team-leading 33 multi-hit games and 23 multi-RBI games. He ended the year on career-high 15-game hitting streak and earned a spot on the SoCon All-Tournament Team.
During his freshman year he tied a single-game record with six hits (vs. Coppin State). Shehan also tied game records in walks (4 vs. Jacksonville in 2008) and doubles (3 vs. New Jersey Tech in 2007). He accounted for two of the team's NCAA single-game record 14 home runs hit in a 26-8 win earlier this year against Columbia.
Shehan, who plans on finishing his degree in Accounting, said there were many memorable moments as an Eagle.
"I was able to play with a great group of guys. I'll miss my teammates. I became great friends with them and the relationships I built at Georgia Southern are unforgettable. We had a lot of great memories over those three years. some great wins, setting a NCAA record and school records. I will definitely miss Georgia Southern," said Shehan.
Shehan is the first Eagle since Scott Hensley in 2001 to earn All-America status and he was the only Southern Conference representative on the First Team. Shehan, a 30th round pick by the Braves last week, joined senior Jeremy Beckham (17th round, Tampa Bay) and junior Blake Nation (22nd round, Seattle) in getting drafted.
In just three years, Shehan ended his career with the third-best career batting average in program history, a .376 clip (254-676). He tied for ninth in career hits and ranked seventh scoring 182 runs. Shehan narrowly missed the career 'Top 10' listings in: doubles (48), home runs (34), total bases (414), walks (93), RBI (160) and stolen bases (40-46).
"They (Atlanta) made an attractive offer and it was hard to turn down. This is a great opportunity to start my professional career with a great organization," said Shehan, who saw his older brother also play in the Braves organization.
Shehan paced the 2008 offense with record numbers. The SoCon's 'Player of the Year' (sports media association) batted .438 - the fourth highest single-season average. He became the fifth Eagle to be named SoCon 'Player of the Year'.
Starting in all 58 games, Shehan tallied 84 runs scored (GS season record), 77 RBI (tied 9th), 17 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs (tied 8th), .557 on-base percentage, 53 walks (tied 8th), 22-of-24 stolen bases, 187 total bases (tied 6th) and six outfield assists. A Third Team Academic All-District pick, Shehan recorded a team-leading 33 multi-hit games and 23 multi-RBI games. He ended the year on career-high 15-game hitting streak and earned a spot on the SoCon All-Tournament Team.
During his freshman year he tied a single-game record with six hits (vs. Coppin State). Shehan also tied game records in walks (4 vs. Jacksonville in 2008) and doubles (3 vs. New Jersey Tech in 2007). He accounted for two of the team's NCAA single-game record 14 home runs hit in a 26-8 win earlier this year against Columbia.
Shehan, who plans on finishing his degree in Accounting, said there were many memorable moments as an Eagle.
"I was able to play with a great group of guys. I'll miss my teammates. I became great friends with them and the relationships I built at Georgia Southern are unforgettable. We had a lot of great memories over those three years. some great wins, setting a NCAA record and school records. I will definitely miss Georgia Southern," said Shehan.