The Sports Inquirer

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

Georgia State’s Matt Rose earned Preseason All-America recognition from D1Baseball, which placed the Panthers’ third baseman on its second team.

Rose is one of the nation’s top returning home run hitters after smacking 11 last season; only eight returnees in Division I hit more. The junior from Melbourne, Fla., added 12 doubles and batted .312 while driving in 34 runs.

He is a career .299 hitter for the Panthers with 15 homers and 66 RBI in 97 games, including Freshman All-America honors in 2013.

Rose is also a talented right-handed pitcher who has compiled a 4-3 record, five saves and a 3.05 earned run average in 20 mound appearances. He is expected to see action out of the bullpen this spring.

A 24th-round draft pick out of Palm Bay High School, Rose was rated the top prospect in the Valley League last summer by Perfect Game.