CARY, N.C. (May 31, 2019) - Central Missouri Mules outfielder Mason Janvrin has been a force in the leadoff spot all season long. So it's only fitting that the junior from Warrensburg kicked off the 2019 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship with the first award presented. Ahead of tonight's championship banquet, Janvrin was selected as the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner, the first in Mules Baseball history. 

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student- athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

Janvrin will be graduating this summer with a 4.0 GPA in Occupational Safety. He is not only an Academic All-District selection this season and in 2018, but he has been an All-Region and All-American selection already this year, in addition to a spot on the All-MIAA First Team.

Janvrin became the new Mules all-time single-season hits leader and is currently first in D2 with 106 base hits. He's scored 71 times and stolen 36 bases, both of which are in the NCAA top-10. He's set career-bests with 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 46 runs batted in. 

This is the seventh-ever Elite 90 award for a Central Missouri student-athlete. The last came in 2017 with Kelsey Mueller from Jennies Soccer being honored. In addition to Mueller, Cory Bloodgood from Mules Wrestling was the first ever winner in 2009-10. The remaining four all come from Mules Track and Field and Cross Country. Shawn Boss twice earned the award for indoor track and field in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Dalton Moberly won the award at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2011-12 and Ben Barrows in 2013-14. 

The Mules first NCAA Championship game is tomorrow afternoon. They play the first game of the whole tournament as the No. 5 seed against No. 4 Ashland Saturday, June 1 at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT.