Alex Close

Class:
Senior
Position:
1B/RHP
Bats/Throws:
R/R
Height:
6-4
Weight:
225
Prev School:
Spain Park HS
Hometown:
Hoover, Ala.

2014 MLB Draft Selection
2014 Capital One Academic All-American
2014 Big South All-Conference
2014 VaSID Academic All-State
2012 Freshman All-American
2012 Big South Freshman of the Year
2012 Big South All-Tournament

2014 (Jr.)
• Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 27^th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft
• One of only two juniors named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team
• Selected to the Big South All-Conference first team
• Named to VaSID Academic All-State team
• Played in 58 games, with 57 starts
• Started 55 games at first base and two at catcher
• Hit .323 with 36 runs scored and a team-high 46 RBI
• Posted 14 doubles and nine home runs
• Completed the year ranked eighth on program's all-time list with 26 home runs
• Finished the season second in the Big South in RBI, fourth in total bases (111) and fifth in slugging percentage (.512)
• Collected three hits, including a solo home run and a two-run home run, scoring three times and driving in three runs in a 14-6 win over UNCW at the Battle at the Beach (2/22)
• Registered three hits vs. Ball St. at Liberty Invitational (3/2)
• Drove in five runs with three hits in 11-2 win over Rider at Liberty Invitational (3/2)
• Posted three hits, two doubles and four RBI in 6-2 victory over Kent State in game one of a doubleheader (3/8)
• Hit solo home run in 8-0 win at Presbyterian (3/29)
• Collected two hits, a solo home run and scored twice in 8-0 win at Presbyterian (3/30)
• Had two hits, including a home run, in 4-3 victory over Duke (4/1)
• Posted a career-high four hits, a double and scored three times in a 17-0 win over VMI (4/5)
• Registered two hits, a home run and a walk-off single, in 4-3 win over UNC Asheville (4/27)
• Collected two hits, a home run, two runs scored and a RBI in 4-3 victory over Radford in Game 10 of the Big South Baseball Championship (5/23)
• Homered against Bucknell at the NCAA Charlottesville, Va. Regional (5/31)
• Member of the Coastal Plains Summer League (CPL) Champion Peninsula Pilots
• Named to Coastal Plains All-Star and All-CPL teams
• Won Coastal Plains Home Run Derby during CPL All-Star festivities
• Named the third top prospect in the CPL by Baseball America
• Named to Big South Presidential Honor Roll

2013 (So.)
• Played in 62 games, with 61 starts
• Batted .223 with 28 runs scored and 27 RBIs
• Had 12 doubles and three home runs
• Named Big South and ECAC Player of the Week for April 22-28
• Collected two hits, including a walk-off single in a 4-3 win against Army (3/3)
• Registered two hits, walked and scored three times in 11-8 victory at Georgia (3/10)
• Doubled twice and scored a run in 6-2 win at William & Mary (3/12)
• Contributed two hits, scored two runs and stole a base at Maryland (4/23)
• Drove in six runs with three hits, including a grand slam, and scored two runs in 17-10 win at Old Dominion (4/24)
• Collected two hits and four RBIs during an 11-6 win in game one of a doubleheader at VMI (4/27)
• Had two hits, including a two-run home run, in a 13-7 victory in game two of a doubleheader at VMI (4/27)
• Collected two hits, scored two runs and drove in a run in 9-8 win over Coastal Carolina in Game 12 of the Big South Baseball Championship (5/24)
• Drove in two runs with two hits and scored two runs in 8-0 victory over Coastal Carolina in Game 13 of the Big South Baseball Championship (5/24)
• Registered two hits, including a solo home run in 8-3 victory over Clemson at NCAA Columbia, S.C. Regional (May 31)
• Named to Big South Presidential Honor Roll

2012 (Fr.)
• NCBWA Freshman All-American
• Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American
• Big South Freshman of the Year
• Big South All-Tournament team
• VaSID All-State second team
• Set Big South and Liberty records for home runs by a freshman
• Led Big South in home runs (14), third in slugging percentage (.565), sixth in RBIs (47) and fifth in total bases (117)
• Played in 54 games with 51 starts
• Started 46 games at first base and three games as the designated hitter
• Also saw action at catcher
• Made four appearances as a pitcher with one start against Siena (2/25)
• Hit .304 with 36 runs scored, eight doubles and two triples
• Did not post a decision with a 10.38 ERA over 4 1/3 innings as pitcher
• Collected 16 multiple-hit and 14 multiple-RBI games
• Finished the year on an 11-game hitting streak, the longest by a Liberty player in 2012
• Drove in four runs with three hits, two home runs at Old Dominion (3/6)
• Registered two hits, a double, a RBI and two runs scored at Presbyterian (3/18)
• Posted three hits, including a double and a home run, driving in four runs and scoring two against Gardner-Webb (3/23)
• Had three hits, including a double, driving in two runs and scoring a run versus Marshall (3/30)
• Registered two hits, one a home run, against James Madison (4/10)
• Contributed three hits and scored a run at Georgia (4/16)
• Had two hits, a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored at UNC Asheville (4/21)
• Hit two-run home run and scored twice at James Madison (4/24)
• Registered two hits, one a home run, and scored two runs against Coastal Carolina (4/26)
• Collected three hits, a double, an RBI and a run scored against North Carolina A&T (5/2)
• Had three hits, including a double, driving in two runs and scoring a run against High Point (5/12)
• Hit two home runs, plating four runs at Radford (5/18)
• Connected for a two-run home run versus UNC Asheville at the Big South Championship (5/22)
• Broke Big South record for home runs by a freshman with a three-run, first inning home run against Campbell at the Big South Championship (5/24)
• Had two hits against Coastal Carolina in the Big South Championship title game (5/26)
• Selected a 2012 Coastal Plains Summer League Postseason First Team All-Star during the summer
• Named the fourth top prospect in the 2012 Coastal Plains League by Perfect Game

Prep
• Graduate of Spain Park High School
• Played for the Area 12 Champion Jaguars
• Set single-season school RBI record with 60 as a senior
• Named to all-state, all-metro, All Over the Mountain, All-Shelby County and all-metro teams in 2011
• Hoover South Player of the Year
• Also selected to academic all-metro squad
• Was named a 2011 Preseason Under Armour All-American
• Played his first three years of high school at Milton High School, earning Team MVP honors as both a sophomore and junior
• Hit .445, helping team to Region 6 Championship
• Was named first team All-Region
• Also played basketball

Personal
• Son of Kurt and Trish Close
• Father played collegiate baseball at Samford
• Majoring in finance
• Birthday is March 19