Written by Mike Spinelli

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Kent State's season ended with their first wins in the SuperRegionals, their first trip to the College World Series, and an upset win over top seed Florida. And that is not all, as senior shortstop Jimmy Rider was named by Baseball America to their First Team All American team.

The Venetia, Pa.native is the first Golden Flash to be named to the team. Rider set single-season school records with 106 hits and 30 doubles, ranking second in the country in 2012 in both categories. He ranked second on the team in batting average (.359) and RBIs (58), and his 295 at-bats rank as the most in a single-season in school history. Defensively, Rider cemented his place as the best shortstop in Kent State history with a .979 fielding percentage and a school-record 232 assists, which shattered his own previous mark of 199 established in his sophomore season of 2010. He committed just seven errors in 333 chances while fielding 32 double plays.

Rider hit .330 with 38 hits – including nine doubles and five home runs – to go along with 24 RBIs and 36 runs scored in Mid-American Conference play, earning him First Team All-MAC honors. Rider saved his best work for the national stage of NCAA Tournament, hitting a team-best .349 with a team-high 15 hits – including four doubles and a home run – to go along with nine RBIs. He produced the biggest hit in Kent State history in the winner-to-Omaha game three of the NCAA Eugene Super Regional, sending a bloop single into left field at PK Park to allow sophomore second baseman Derek Toadvine to scamper home from second base and give the Golden Flashes a 3-2 walk-off win over then-No. 10 Oregon, punching Kent State's ticket to the 2012 NCAA College World Series. Rider goes down as the man responsible for the first run scored and RBI in Kent State's CWS history after launching a two-out solo shot into the opponent bullpen at TD Ameritrade Park in the sixth inning of Kent State's 8-1 loss to No. 6 Arkansas last Saturday (June 16) in the opening game of Bracket 2 of the 2012 NCAA College World Series. Rider posted a double and two singles for his team-leading 32^ndmulti-hit game of the season to help Kent State top No. 1 Florida, 5-4, Monday.

Rider finishes his career as the most prolific hitter in MAC history with a record 353 base knocks. He was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 26th round with the 796th pick of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Rider is the fourth Kent State player to be drafted by his hometown Pirates. Rider collected his 319th hit with a single to right field in the top of the first inning in Kent State's 13-4 triumph at Ohio on May 6 to surpass Scott Simon (2003-04, 06-07) of Northern Illinois for the conference's career hits record. In four seasons wearing the Blue & Gold, Rider hit .335 with 78 doubles (third-most in school history), eight triples and 13 home runs to go along with 194 RBIs (third-most in school history), and his 1,035 at-bats are the most in school history. Defensively, Rider complied a school-record 771 career assists and committed just 37 errors in 1,164 career chances for a fielding percentage of .968. He made 246 starts in 247 games played.

Rider is expected to start the season with the State College Strikes of the NY-Penn League.