JMU?S FABIASCHI NAMED A CANDIDATE FOR LOWE?S SENIOR CLASS AWARD

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 17, 2010 – James Madison second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) was named as one of 30 candidates nationwide for the Lowe's Senior CLASS as announced by the NCAA and Premier Sports Management on Wednesday.

The award, which stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, honors achievement in the areas of classroom, community, character, and competition. The award encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to an official ballot of 10 finalists midway through the 2010 season. Media, coaches, and fans will then have an opportunity to vote on the winner of the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS award.

On the field, Fabiaschi was First-Team All-Conference in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2009 after hitting .328 with 67 hits, nine doubles, three home runs, 32 RBIs, and 13 steals while posting an 18-game hitting streak. He started all 54 games for the Dukes, including 53 at second base. For his career, Fabiaschi has appeared in 141 games with 119 starts and holds a .287 career average. Heading into his senior campaign, he was named honorable mention preseason All-CAA by the league's head coaches as well as Second-Team All-CAA by SEBaseball.com and an All-CAA candidate by CollegeBaseballToday.com.

In the classroom, Fabiaschi carries a grade-point average above 3.5. He was named to the JMU President's List once and the Dean's List twice. He has also been honored with the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award and the JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete honor each year. The finance major aspires to use his degree either within baseball or possibly as a financial analyst or financial consultant.

Fabiaschi has made a significant contribution to the local community with over 50 hours of service at Pleasant Valley Boys & Girls Club. He also contributes to JMU baseball efforts with the local Challenger little league for handicapped youth as well as the team's recent adoption of cancer-survivor Justin Brown through the “Friends of Jaclyn” Foundation. Additionally, he attends Aletheia Church in Harrisonburg and participates in bible study groups.

For character and leadershi