Classroom:Despite attending one of the nation's top universities, Ryan has been able to keep up a 3.67 GPA. An economics concentrator, he has all A's and B's on his transcript. He has also taken advantage of Brown's unique curriculum, in which there are no core requirements, to branch out from his economics concentration, taking classes in Akkadian, Greek mythology, geology, anthropology, creative writing, and Russian literature. After graduation, Ryan plans to work in the financial field.
Character:Looking at Ryan's freshman statistics, one could never have predicted his future success. Ryan played in just three games that season, all as a pinch runner, not getting a single at-bat. Murphy worked his way into a left-field platoon his sophomore season, then broke out as a junior, hitting .410 to finish 16th in the nation after once again beginning the year in competition for a starting spot. At Ivy League schools, where there are no athletic scholarships to keep a player from simply quitting if he is unhappy with his playing time, his perseverance makes him stand out.
Competition:Murphy's average may have been what led to his selection as First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-New England, and Second Team All-Northeast, but he excels at doing the little things to help his team win. Murphy led Brown in sacrifice bunts last season, and advanced 62 percent of the baserunners ahead of him, far and away the best on a team that led the Ivy League in nearly every offensive category. He also came up big in big games, being named to the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Round Rock Regional after going 4-for-7 with an RBI in two games. He also went 3-for-8 with three runs scored in the Bears' two-game sweep of Penn in the Ivy League Championship.