2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Baseball Teams release dates:
College Division Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division III Teams: Wed., May 31
NCAA Division II Teams: Thurs., June 1
NCAA Division I Teams: Fri., June 2
Academic All-America Program Index Page
Glen McClain of Indiana Tech Headlines CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Teams
Glen McClain
Indiana Tech
AUSTIN, Texas – Glen McClain of the Indiana Institute of Technology highlights the 2017 Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team includes student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.
McClain garnered the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year honor. McClain has forged a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average majoring in business administration with a concentration in sport management at Indiana Tech.
Among the NAIA, McClain ranks second in hits per game (1.76), third in hits (102) and sixth in batting average (.457). McClain has produced 17 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 71 RBI. The Fremont, Indiana, native became a two-time All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference performer, snagging first-team honors as well as Academic All-WHAC this season. Indiana Tech (44-14) fell short of an NAIA World Series berth, advancing to their NAIA National Championship Opening Round final.
McClain has not missed a game since transferring to Tech two seasons ago. McClain just completed his sophomore season, but holds a senior academic standing after spending two years at Xavier University before joining the Warriors.
The 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team includes four two-time All-Americans – first-team outfielders Jared Baker of Oklahoma City University and Cole Gray from Midland University and the College of Idaho designated hitter Cole Mansanarez as well as second-team catcher Nick Payne from the University of South Carolina Beaufort. Baker, Mansanarez and Payne were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team in 2016, while Gray was a second-team honoree.
Baker, a senior from Edmond, Oklahoma, boasts of a 3.72 G.P.A. studying accounting. In his career with the Stars, Baker has been named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-Sooner Athletic Conference twice. Baker is also an honorable mention NAIA All-American, preseason all-American, conference player of the year, three-time all-SAC performer and six-time league player of the week.
This season, Baker ranks among the top five in the NAIA in RBI (83), RBI per game (1.51) and total bases per game (3.02) while leading the Stars to the No. 1 ranking. Baker has posted a .405 batting average, 22 doubles and 19 homers while becoming Oklahoma City’s career doubles leader with 80.
Gray shared Great Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year while becoming a four-time All-GPAC selection. Gray set Midland’s single-season record with 88 hits, hitting .411 with 20 doubles, eight homers and 41 RBI this season. He was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete as a junior.
A senior from Ontario, California, Gray led Midland to the GPAC Tournament championship and its first regular-season conference championship in 10 years. He compiled a 3.58 G.P.A. while studying mathematics and computer science with a minor in coaching.
Mansanarez, a senior from Blackfoot, Idaho, has been the big bat in the middle of the College of Idaho order all season – leading the Coyotes with a .309 batting average, nine homers and 35 RBI. He garnered first-team All-NAIA West Group North Division accolades and Academic All-Cascade Conference this year and NAIA Scholar-Athlete last year. Mansanarez has accumulated a 3.95 G.P.A. pursuing a business degree.
Payne graduated from USC Beaufort in April with a 3.81 G.P.A. majoring in business administration. Payne, a senior from Ellicott City, Maryland, batted .336 this season with nine doubles, 21 walks and 24 RBI. He finished his career ranked second in USCB history in walks and in the top 10 in RBI.
The 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team first teamers include pitchers Ryan Phillips from William Woods University and Damon Proctor from the University of Northwestern Ohio, Indiana Tech catcher Keith Tatum, infielders Matt Bandor from Indiana Tech, Taylor Grzelakowski of Madonna University and Landon Uetz from the University of Jamestown; Oklahoma Wesleyan University outfielder Will Price and Northwest Mississippi Community College designated hitter Spencer Cayten.
The second team has pitchers Micah Beyer from Biola University and Andrew Kuta of Hastings College; infielders Michael Centeno of St. Thomas (Fla.) University, Cameron Gingerich from Dordt College, Jon Stewart of Cornerstone University and Jeremy Vasquez of Davenport University, outfielders Conner Rivers of Martin Methodist College, Tyler Sroczynski from Trinity Christian College and Tanner Watson of Taylor University.
Indiana Tech topped the Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team with three first-team choices.
Six on the squad have a 3.90 or better G.P.A., while 16 among the team compiled a 3.75 G.P.A.
Eleven of the team members competed in the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round. Baker has led Oklahoma City, while Price has spearheaded Oklahoma Wesleyan to the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
The 12-member first team from the Academic All-America® College Division baseball team has an average G.P.A. of 3.81, while the second team has an average G.P.A. of 3.79. The entire team boasts of an average G.P.A. of 3.80.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael MacEachern, Young Harris College
Academic All-America® Co-Director for Publicity
mfmaceachern@yhc.edu
(706) 379-5106
Rich Tortorelli, Oklahoma City University
Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity
rtortorelli@okc.edu
(405) 208-5304