CHARLOTTE — Surry’s Matthew Connolly and Jalen Chambers were recently named as National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Baseball All-Americans. Connolly was selected as the top catcher nationally in earning a spot on the All-American First Team while Chambers was named as an infielder on the Third Team.
“Both Jalen and Matthew are very worthy of this tremendous honor,” stated Surry head coach, Tim Collins. “They both played very important positions and were instrumental in our success this past season.”
Connolly finished the 2024 campaign as the Region 10 Player of the Year as selected by the league coaches. He was also selected to the Region 10 All-Region First Team.
A freshman from Mount Ulla, NC (West Rowan High School), Connolly hit .348 with 7 homeruns and 44 RBI’s in 48 games. He scored 44 runs while drawing 48 walks and stealing 27 bases. Connolly’s 48 walks ranked 4th nationally.
Chambers was named as an infielder on the NJCAA All-American Third Team finishing the 2024 season as the Region 10 Runner-Up Player of the Year. He was also named to the Region 10 All-Region First Team and All-Tournament team.
A sophomore from Kannapolis, NC (A.L. Brown High School), Chambers hit .321 with 5 homeruns and 41 RBI’s in 48 games. He scored 49 runs with 35 walks and 26 stolen bases. Chambers, a first baseman, also helped lead the Knights on the mound finishing with an 8-1 record and 2.92 earned run average. His eight wins ranked 8th nationally.
“Both Jalen and Matthew were team leaders on the field and in the clubhouse,” added Collins. “They represented Surry in the highest manner possible. This is a great honor for both of these young men and our program.”
Connolly and Chambers helped lead Surry to an overall 38-10 record while finishing as Region 10 regular season champions and Region 10 tournament runner-up. The Knights were ranked as high as 6th nationally before finishing 9th in the final NJCAA rankings.
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