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Kassouf Named District Player of the Year

Daniel Kassouf is the first Southern Conference player to ever be named an NCBWA District Player of the Year. Photo by Dave Mayo and courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

June 11, 2012. Appalachian State University designated hitter Daniel Kassouf (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) District IV Player of the Year on Friday. The honor recognizes Kassouf as the year’s best college baseball player in the states of Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Kassouf was one of the nation’s top power hitters in 2012, ranking 10th nationally with a school-record 17 home runs, 11th with a Southern Conference-leading 66 RBI and 16th with 148 total bases. He also finished with a gaudy .339 batting average and made a serious run at the SoCon triple crown, leading the league in all three triple-crown categories (batting average, home runs and RBI) as late as April 21. Spread out over the course of a 162-game Major League Baseball season, Kassouf’s power numbers would translate to 47 home runs and 181 RBI.   

A first-team all-conference honoree, Kassouf was also one of 35 semifinalists for the NCBWA’s Dick Howser Trophy (National Player of the Year) and one of 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award (USA Baseball’s top amateur player). 

Kassouf is the SoCon’s first NCBWA District Player of the Year in the 13-year history of the award. Previous District IV honorees include Mark Teixeira (Georgia Tech – 2000), Khalil Greene (Clemson – 2002), Dustin Ackley (North Carolina – 2007), Gordon Beckham (Georgia – 2008) and Danny Hultzen (Virginia – 2011).