TUCSON, AZ - As a third-team honoree, Bradley's Dan Bolt is the first Bradley player on record to be tabbed for the CBN Preseason All-America Teams.  One of 12 outfielders recognized nationally, Bolt joins second-team shortstop Blayne Jones of Dallas Baptist as the only two Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes recognized by the national college baseball media outlet this year.  In addition, Bolt is the first MVC outfielder named a CBN Preseason All-American since Wichita State’s Drew Moffitt earned second-team honors in 2004.

DBU's Blayne Jones was named a Second Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball.  Jones, a junior shortstop from Muenster, Texas, hit .286 in the 2020 shortened-season and led the Patriots in home runs (5), RBI (16), and slugging percentage (.619). 

In three seasons at DBU, Jones has been entrenched in the Patriots' starting lineup, making 131 starts.  In 2019, he was tabbed to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive Team after posting a .977 fielding percentage, committing just six errors in 263 chances.

Jones was one of just five shortstops from across the nation to be selected to the Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America Team.

DBU will enter the 2021 season ranked No. 24 in Collegiate Baseball's preseason Top 25 poll.  DBU is coming off a 12-4 campaign in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.  The Patriots return 24 lettermen from last year's squad and have added 16 newcomers to the roster.

Bolt burst onto the scene during the 2018 MVC Tournament when the then sophomore went 3-for-7 with two walks, three home runs and six RBI in his two postseason games.  As a junior in 2019, he moved into the everyday starting lineup and earned All-MVC second-team honors after leading the Braves with a .595 slugging percentage and .453 on-base percentage.  His 1.048 OPS in 2019 was second-best in The Valley and was the best by a Bradley player since current New York Yankees OF Mike Tauchman posted a 1.110 OPS during his 2013 Joe Carter MVC Player-of-the-Year season in 2013.
 
Twice named to the CBN National Players of the Week (April 22, 2019 and March 2, 2020), Bolt was off to a hot start during the abbreviated 2020 season, smashing seven home runs with 15 RBIs during Bradley's 10 games.  He ranked fourth nationally with 0.7 home runs per game and sixth with a .881 slugging percentage when the 2020 season was halted due to the global pandemic.
 
In 110 career games at Bradley, Bolt enters the 2021 season with a .304 batting average, 23 home runs and 79 RBI.  He is one of five baseball seniors who elected to return to Bradley for an extra season after the NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility for all 2020 spring sport student-athletes due to the pandemic.

Click here to view the 2021 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America Team.