« Baseball 2012

David Lyon

School
Kent State
Position
Catcher
Major
Finance
AVG
.289
R
50
H
63
FLD%
.984
RBI
41

Classroom

Lyon holds a 3.78 GPA and earned Academic All-MAC honors following the 2011 season. He helped Kent State baseball achieve a perfect 1.000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) score, marking the squad’s third such score in as many years. Kent State’s multi-year rate ranks as the highest from a public institution in the sport and matches prestigious private institutions such as Yale, Duke and Bucknell as the top score in the country. Only eight public institutions achieved a top-30 APR multi-year rate. “If you’re in class, you might as well try your best,” Lyon said. “There’s no point in not taking advantage of the opportunities we have. The upperclassmen are always good students, and they set the tone for competition amongst the team to see who can achieve the highest GPA each semester.”

Character

Lyon is a co-captain for the 2012 season. His discipline and leadership both behind the plate and off the field helped him earn a place on the USA Baseball’s 2011 Collegiate National Team upon recommendation from eighth-year Kent State coach Scott Stricklin.

Community

Lyon is a part of Kent State’s yearly visit to Akron Children’s Hospital, which is part of Kent State and the University of Akron’s annual “Diamond Classic For Kids,” a charity game that is played at Canal Park in Akron. Lyon and other players from Kent State and Akron interact with the young patients and lift their spirits by offering their friendship and encouragement.

Competition

As a junior, Lyon posted career highs with a .315 batting average, 128 total bases, 75 hits, 53 RBI, 36 runs, 27 walks, nine home runs and seven triples, which is tied for the Kent State single-season record. He also led Kent State with 404 putouts, the eighth most in a single season in school history. Lyon earned 2011 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA Mideast Region second team and second-team All-MAC honors for his efforts. He has helped lead the Golden Flashes to three straight MAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament berths. He earned All-NCAA Championship Austin Regional honors last season after he produced perhaps the most memorable hit in Kent State history to help down then-No. 5 Texas, 7-5, on its home field as the Golden Flashes earned their first regional final berth since 2001.