Jason Haniger

Classroom

The Recipient of the 2009 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, Jason was tabbed to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District squad in 2008.  He is a member of the 2008 Academic All-ACC Baseball Team and a three-year member of the ACC Honor Roll.  He was also the recipient of the 2008 Bobby Dodd Scholarship (Georgia Tech’s top returning scholar-athlete).  Jason has been a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars from 2006-present and was selected to the National College Athlete Honor Society (Chi Alpha Sigma) in 2008.  He maintains a 3.53 overall grade point average as a management student at Georgia Tech and has a 3.80 GPA in is management classes, and is receiving a certificate (minor) in finance.  Expected to earn his undergraduate degree in December, 2009, Jason would like to attend graduate school in Europe, and in particular Italy, because of their top-ranked business school and the location (access to countries he is interested in visiting).  He hopes to gain a management internship in Europe – in particular, Germany – since he is currently studying the language.  He also has interests in gaining a developmental internship in Central or South America teaching English and/or leading a cultural diversity program.

Character

A 2009 Team Captain (as voted on by the team and coaching staff), Jason is a two-year member of Georgia Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board, serving as the Yellow Jacket baseball team’s liaison.  He is responsible for coordinating the baseball team’s community service and marketing activities.  In addition, he has served a Yellow Jacket baseball camp instructor from 2006-present, assisting Georgia Tech coaches in the management and organization of the camp while mentoring and instructing campers on the technical skills of baseball.  Jason also serves as a mentor to Georgia Tech’s two underclassmen catchers.  Playing much of his junior season with injury, Jason held off until the end of the year to have surgery.  He was forced to undergo two surgeries during the off-season, but returned to Georgia Tech for his senior season despite being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft.  He is the recipient of the team’s “Mr. Hustle” award in 2007 and 2008, as voted on by the coaches.  Off the field, Jason is a member of the global student organization AIESEC, which is an international platform for young people to develop their potential so as to have a positive impact in society.

Community

Jason coordinated the Georgia Tech baseball team’s Toys for Tots collection at a Georgia Tech volleyball match in 2008 - he has also participated in Toys for Tots collections at football and men’s basketball events over the last three years.  Jason joined his teammates in serving as grand marshals for the 2008 and 2009 Special Olympics State Games and he coordinated the Georgia Tech baseball team’s participation as the timers for the roller skating venue at the 2009 Special Olympics State Games.  He participated in the 2008 Atlanta-area Elementary Schools Literacy Week, reading to local kids as part of the event.  In addition, he organized his entire team’s participation in a Halloween party for Egleston Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2008.  His leadership was integral in the team’s participation in a Habitat for Humanity day five build project in south Atlanta in 2008.  Jason participated in TEAM Buzz (campus-wide community service projects) in 2007 and 2008, assisting in the cleanup of parks in the Atlanta community and the 2007 St. Baldrick’s event in which the entire baseball team shaved their heads while raising nearly $9,000 to fund children’s cancer research.

Competition

In his second year as the Yellow Jackets’ starting catcher after spending his first two seasons as the primary backup to future Major League star Matt Wieters, Jason had a breakout season in 2008, batting .329 with 10 home runs, 25 total extra-base hits and 34 RBI.  He had a .638 slugging percentage and a .415 on base percentage as a junior and was tabbed to the 2008 NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament team after batting .462 with six RBIs and a pair of home runs in four NCAA Tournament games.  Jason hit .403 with six home runs and six doubles over his last 18 games of the season.  Overall, he has hit over .300 each of his three seasons at Georgia Tech, batting .330 for his career (he hiit .444 as a freshman in 2006 and .303 as a sophomore).  He tallied the first home run of his career in the 2007 ACC Tournament.  Defensively, Jason is also a very good catcher, with a .985 career fielding percentage.