Chase Raffield

Classroom

Chase Raffield has maintained a grade point average of 3.68 at Georgia State University, and he has achieved Dean’s List recognition every semester at GSU. In 2013, he earned the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Award. Majoring in political science, Raffield is serving an internship with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) this semester. In addition to completing his coursework, he is working 30 hours per week in the GBI’s major crimes unit, learning all aspects of investigation and prevention. Raffield, who transferred to GSU in 2012 from Gordon State College, will graduate from Georgia State in May.

Character

Chase is a young man with high integrity and strong character. He is a well-respected team leader who sets a tremendous example with his actions but also encourages and inspires with his words. Chase has demonstrated his strong character as he has overcome a very serious knee injury. After a successful freshman season at Gordon State College, he tore all the ligaments in his knee, an injury so severe that it caused him to miss almost two full seasons and could have been career-ending. Even during his productive 2013 season at Georgia State, he played with a bulky knee brace, but he has worked extremely hard to rehabilitate and strengthen his knee and now stands poised for a healthy and successful senior season.

Community

Chase is generous with his time and talents in working with young people and sharing the game of baseball. He annually participates in a youth baseball clinic over Christmas near his hometown of Cochran, Ga. He and his teammates spend the Martin Luther King holiday each year conducting a free clinic for local youth in the Atlanta area. In participating in these events, Chase goes out of his way to engage and bond with the children. Chase also volunteered for Georgia State Athletics’ annual blood drive in 2012 and 2013.

Competition

Chase Raffield, a left-handed hitting outfielder-designated hitter, is a 2014 Preseason All-American (3rd team by NCBWA) after earning honorable mention All-America recognition in 2013. He also received first-team all-region and second-team all-conference accolades in 2013. Raffield was Georgia State’s top run producer and power threat as a junior, when he was a key figure for a Georgia State team that ranked third in the nation in batting average and fourth in scoring. He posted a .382 batting average with a team-leading 10 home runs, 19 doubles, 51 RBI and a .645 slugging percentage. He finished in the top 25 in the NCAA statistics in batting average and slugging. Raffield was even better in conference games, in which he hit a league-leading . 420 with seven homers, 28 RBI and a .761 slugging percentage. He transferred to GSU from Gordon State College, where he was an all-region selection in 2010 and MVP of the region tournament.