Rhymes finalist for Senior CLASS Award

LSU outfielder Raph Rhymes has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate baseball.

Ten NCAA baseball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists for the award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Rhymes, a native of Monroe was the nation's leading hitter in 2012, batting a school-record .431 (100-for-232) with 11 doubles, four homers and 53 RBI. Rhymes, last season, earned first-team All-America honors and was voted the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

Rhymes, a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, is batting .338 this season for the second-ranked Tigers with eight doubles, one triple, two homers and 34 RBI.

The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in February. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or on the Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through June 10. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA College World Series® in Omaha June 15-26.