INDIANA, Pa. – IUP's Ryan Uhl (St. Marys, Pa./St. Marys) has been named a semifinalist for the D2 Baseball News Tino Martinez Award. The award is given annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II baseball.
 
The senior first baseman is putting together the best offensive season in school history, ranking among the nation's leaders with 21 home runs, 55 runs batted in and a 1.009 slugging percentage. He also leads the Crimson Hawks with a .391 batting average, 41 runs scored and 45 hits, and is first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 31 walks and third with a .533 on-base percentage.
 
Uhl has broken IUP's single season and career home run mark (34), and has also excelled in the field with an impressive .992 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 36 games.
 
Just last week Uhl was named the PSAC West Co-Hitter and the Atlantic Region and Division II National Hitter of the Week after going 10-of-18 with seven homers, 18 RBI, a 1.722 slugging percentage and 11 walks in just six games.
 
Uhl is one of three PSAC players among the 30 semifinalists, including Seton Hill third baseman Nick Sell and shortstop Dylan Tice (Perkasie/Pennridge), a former teammate who is now at West Chester.
 
The annual honor is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez. Martinez was a three-time All-American and still holds a number of UT records including career home runs (54), career slugging percentage (.736), career on base percentage (.494), single season batting average (.452) and single season slugging percentage (.957). 
 
The winner of the 2015 Tino Martinez Award will be named Monday, June 1 following the Division II Championships which will held in Cary, N.C. The finalists will be revealed prior to the beginning of the DII finals.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.