NSU Sharks News
Spanjer-Furstenburg Named Appalachian League Player Of The Year
First Baseman Led League In Batting Average and RBIs
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Aug. 31, 2009) Former Nova Southeastern University first baseman Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg (Coral Springs, Fla.) was named the Appalachian League Player Of The Year. Spanjer-Furstenburg, a 2009 16th-round pick of the Atlanta Braves, is hitting .357 with seven homers and 50 RBIs in 55 games. The native of South Africa also ranks in the top five in the league in hits, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging. Led by Spanjer-Furstenburg, the Danville Braves hold a league-best 43-17 record and leads second-place Princeton by 11 games.
Riaan, playing for the Sharks this spring, finished the season batting .393 with 15 home runs and a team high 67 runs batted in. His total for RBI's ranks second in the all-time NSU single season record book, tying him with 2007 NSU Hall of Fame inductee Claude Love, who had 67 RBI's in 1995. He was most impressive during conference play; batting .414 with nine home runs and 26 RBI's in just 24 games. Spanjer-Furstenburg also set a single game record, slamming three home runs in a single game at Eckerd College on April 10th. He was selected as a first team All-Sunshine State Conference performer.
