Amherst’s Ryan Rua was named the fourth best draftable prospect in NCAA Division II according to Baseball America. Rua is the first position player listed in the publication’s small college preview.

Rua, the all-time and single-season home run record holder at Lake Erie, earned American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Midwest Regional Team honors last season when he hit .400 with 11 homers and 40 RBI. That came on the heels of a freshman year in which he hit .320 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs.

This past summer, he was named MVP of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star Game and was a All-GLSCL First Team pick after helping the Hamilton Joe’s claim the wood bat league’s championship.

"With his performance this summer in the Great Lakes League and how he has played on the field at the collegiate level the past two seasons, Ryan is getting notice and recognition from the professional baseball community," Storm head coach Brian McGee said. "He continues to work hard and improve himself as a player, and that will lend to further accolades for him personally and serve as a great example to the other players in our program."

swalker@MorningJournal.com