James Jurries Named Third-Team Academic All-American
Jun 4, 2002 | Baseball
June 4, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - After completing one of the most successful careers in the history of Tulane baseball, senior infielder James Jurries garnered recognition for his work in the classroom as the native of Lake Jackson, Texas was named to the Verizon Academic All-America third team, the College Sports Information Directors Association announced Tuesday.
Jurries, the 2002 Conference USA Player of the Year and second-team TPX/Louisville Slugger All-American, earned the distinction after posting a 3.44 grade point average in the spring semester to raise his cumulative GPA to 3.32. The number increases to an impressive 3.77 mark in Tulane's prestigious A.B. Freeman School of Business. In the fall, Jurries earned Dean's List recognition with a 3.83 GPA in finance.
Jurries becomes Tulane baseball's fifth Academic All-America, the first since 1994 when David Stewart earned the distinction, and is the first player in the history of Green Wave Athletics to earn both academic and athletic All-America honors in the same season.
On the field, Jurries became the first player since 1985 to hit .400 for the year and became Tulane baseball's first-ever 20-30 player with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He also led the team with 77 runs scored, 96 hits, four triples, 74 RBI, 180 total bases, a .750 slugging percentage, a .493 on-base percentage and 43 walks while tallying 16 doubles.
During his final collegiate season, Jurries helped the Green Wave earn their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals. His 96 hits in 2002 is tied for sixth in the Green Wave's single-season record book, and he is also third in total bases and slugging percentage, tied for fourth in batting average, seventh in stolen bases, eighth in runs scored and tied for eighth in triples.
In Tulane's career record book, Jurries tied the all-time runs record (284) while finishing second in hits (344) and home runs (62), fourth in games played (239), at-bats (953), RBI (257) and doubles (66), tied for fourth in triples (11), fifth in stolen bases (80), tied for fifth in batting average (.361), sixth in slugging percentage (.648), tied for sixth in assists (430), seventh in walks (145) and tied for seventh in sacrifice flies (13).
One of just two players from Louisiana schools to earn Academic All-America honors, joining McNeese State catcher Ran Prince on the third-team, Jurries and East Carolina pitcher Sam Narron are the only two players in Conference USA to earn academic recognition.
