The honors keep rolling in for former Fannin County baseball player and current Navy Midshipmen Matthew Shirah.
First, he was selected to the 2023 All-Patriot League second team and then was named to the 2023 Academic All-Patriot League team. His third postseason honor came most recently as he was also named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Baseball Academic All-District Team.
Shirah, a junior right-handed pitcher and 2020 Fannin County High School graduate, has had a super season, sporting a 5-4 record with a 3.83 ERA. He has thrown 58 strikeouts in 56.1 innings.
In league games, Shirah has been very impressive, striking out 41 batters in 35.2 innings and holding opposing batters to a .220 batting average.
As far as the academics, Shirah is as equally impressive as he is on the mound, majoring in quantitative economics with a 3.86 GPA.
He also made the Patriot League Honor Roll in both 2021 and 2022. Shirah has also been named to the academy’s Superintendent’s List five times and the Commandant’s List five times also. To be eligible for All-Patriot League Team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student athletes must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player for his/her sport.
BY JOHN SPARGO