ORLANDO – UCF senior Ryan Bear (Panama City, Fla./Mosley) added another award to his resume as he was named to the Verizon Academic All-America first team Tuesday. The senior was one of just 11 student-athletes to be named to the prestigious team for his efforts on the baseball diamond and in the classroom.
Bear is just the third UCF player ever to be named to the Verizon Academic All-America team. Chad Ehrnsberger was a first team selection in 2001 while Matt Lubozynski was a second-team selection in 1997.
Bear finished the season with a 3.72 GPA in management. The first team A-Sun selection, Bear had a spectacular season for the Golden Knights as he led the team in nine different offensive categories. The Panama City native hit .390 with 20 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 36 RBI in 56 games. The senior was the only UCF player to start every game this season and also led UCF with a 19-game hitting streak in 2003.