WISE - - For the second consecutive year, Tyler Blaum has been named the UVA Wise Male Athlete of the Year.  Blaum earned First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors this spring as he becomes the first male athlete in school history to win the award in consecutive seasons.

A Mechanicsville, Va. product, Blaum wrapped up one of the more impressive careers in the history of the baseball program at UVA Wise this spring. The catcher finished his career with the most hits by any catcher in school history with 206 which ranks fourth in school history. Additionally, his 50 doubles are third most in school history while his 122 runs scored is fifth all-time.

This season, Blaum led the Cavaliers with a .362 batting average while adding a team-best 13 doubles and a team-high 42 hits; his 0.42 doubles per game led the SAC.

Behind the plate, Blaum was consistently the best defensive catcher in the conference. As a senior, he played error free ball while throwing out 11-of-24 would be base stealers. His defensive work was highlighted by his play in a doubleheader against Coker when he threw out three base stealers in one game while throwing out four in the two games. For his efforts, Blaum was awarded the SAC's Defensive Award which is given annually to the league's top defensive catcher.

Currently a member of the Joliet Slammers (Ill.) in the Frontier League, Blaum has already made an impact with that club as he went 2-for-3 at the plate while throwing out a pair of runners in his first professional start.

A complete list of previous winners of this award may be found below: