FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
The 2008 Capital One/Southland Conference All-Academic Baseball Teams were released today by the league office as Texas State sophomore first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was voted Student-Athlete of the year.
A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Goldschmidt’s accomplishments off the field are as stellar as his achievements in the classroom. While maintaining a 3.82 grade point average in finance, Goldschmidt led the league in home runs (17), garnering the 2008 SLC Hitter of the Year award, falling one round tripper shy of tying Texas State’s single-season record.
A Dean’s List recipient each semester of his collegiate career, Goldschmidt was the Oak Farms Academic winner in both 2006 and 2007. He ended the 2008 season in the top 10 of eight offensive categories ranking second in RBI (69) and total bases (157). He was also the only sophomore named to the 2008 All-SLC First Team.
Five members of the 2008 SLC Baseball All-Academic teams were selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA District VI Baseball Team. Bradley Chovanec and Michael Rockett of UTSA, Mike Jaworski of Northwestern State, Paul Saville of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Matthew Schexnayder of Southeastern Louisiana, are automatic selections to the league’s academic teams.
The 2008 Southland Conference Player of the Year, Rockett started all 57 games for the Roadrunners while holding a 3.22 GPA in business. A first-team all-conference selection and Louisville Slugger third-team All-American, Rockett broke the UTSA single-season doubles record (25) and finished in the top 10 in seven league offensive categories, including first in slugging percentage (.693).
A third-team all-conference selection, Chovanec holds a 3.91 GPA in kinesiology and was an honor roll student in all four of his semesters at UTSA. The senior led the conference with two shutouts, finished second with nine wins and fourth with 98 innings pitched with three complete games. He was also the only pitcher in the SLC to claim two Pitcher of the Week awards in 2008.
Though not an automatic selection, Ryan Rummel of UTSA is the third academic first-team selection for the Roadrunners. An accounting major, Rummel holds a 3.52 GPA. Starting 53 games in 2008, Rummel received third-team all-conference recognition, driving in 30 with 59 hits and scoring 36 runs.
A health and human performance major, Mike Jaworski sports a 3.81 GPA and two consecutive CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine academic selections. A three-time NSU Dean’s List recipient, Jaworski boasts a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and two SLC Hitter of the Week awards in 2008. A third-team all-conference selection, Jaworski led the Demons in six offensive categories and was third in the SLC in home runs (15).
Splitting time between outfield and designated hitter in 41 games played, A&M-Corpus Christi senior Paul Saville is the only 4.00 student-athlete on the SLC Baseball All-Academic teams. A kinesiology major and Dean’s List recipient in all three semesters at TAMUCC, Saville was recognized by Islander’s athletics as the student-athlete with the highest GPA in their program.
SLU catcher Matthew Schexnayder holds a 3.37 GPA in kinesiology and has posted at least a 3.00 GPA in each semester since transferring to SLU prior to the 2007 season. Playing in 53 games for the Lions, Schexnayder posted 13 multi-hit games in 2008 and threw out one-of-every-three base stealers.
Joining Schexnayder on the first-team is SLU teammate Josh Black. A Fountain City, Indiana native, Black holds a 3.43 GPA in psychology. Pitching 69.1 innings in 2008, Black sat down 63 batters via the strikeout in 14 games started, and has posted at least a 3.0 GPA since joining the Lions prior to the 2007 season.
Sam Houston State teammates Todd Sebek and Bobby Verbick are one of three duos on the SLC All-Academic first-team.
Sebek started all 60 games for the Bearkats in 2008 while maintaining a 3.73 GPA in general business. A second-team All-SLC selection and Louisville Slugger third-team All-American, Sebek led SHSU in stolen bases and ranked third on the team swinging a .356 batting average.
A first-team All-SLC selection and postseason tournament MVP, Verbick finished his junior year with a 3.35 GPA in kinesiology. Starting all 60 games for the Bearkats, Verbick led the team in home runs (14) and RBI (58) in addition to being a Dean’s List selection.
Rounding out the all-academic first-team selections is Texas State junior Adam Witek. A Schertz, Texas, native, and Oak Farms Dairy Award in 2005-07, Witek holds a 3.19 GPA in agriculture business management, and was selected first-team all-conference at second base. Starting 51 games for the Bobcats in 2008, Witek stole 16 of 21 bases for eighth in the SLC while pounding out 75 hits with a .342 batting average.
The Southland Conference Baseball All-Academic Teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches, sports information baseball directors and compliance/academic office of each member institution. The criteria for consideration to the all-academic team is a minimum of 3.00 cumulative grade point average through the semester prior to the sports championship. The nominees must have completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution prior to the season in which the nomination occurs and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games in the position accredited to the nominee.
2008 CAPITAL ONE/SLC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
(First team)
NAME UNIVERSITY CL. POS. HOMETOWN GPA, MAJOR
Bradley Chovanec* UTSA Sr. P Burton, Texas 3.91, Kinesiology
Josh Black Southeastern La. Sr. P Fountain City, Ind. 3.43, Psychology
Matthew Schexnayder* Southeastern La. Sr. C Houma, La. 3.37, Kinesiology
Mike Jaworski* Northwestern State Grad. INF Houston, Texas 3.81, Health & Human Perf.
Paul Goldschmidt$ Texas State So. INF The Woodlands, Texas 3.82, Finance
Adam Witek Texas State Jr. INF Schertz, Texas 3.19, Ag. Bus. Mgmt.
Ryan Rummel UTSA So. INF Uvalde, Texas 3.52, Accounting
Michael Rockett* UTSA Jr. OF Sugar Land, Texas 3.22, Business
Paul Saville* A&M-Corpus Christi Sr. OF Burlington, Ontario 4.00, Kinesiology
Todd Sebek Sam Houston State Sr. OF Kerrville, Texas 3.73, General Business
Bobby Verbick Sam Houston State Sr. DH Angleton, Texas 3.35, Kinesiology
(second team)
NAME UNIVERSITY CL. POS. HOMETOWN GPA, MAJOR
Tim Erickson Lamar Sr. P Sour Lake, Texas 3.06, Exercise Science
Erich Lehmann^ Stephen F. Austin Jr. P Fort Worth, Texas 3.78, Criminal Justice
Justin Walker^ Lamar Jr. P Nederland, Texas 3.57, Exercise Science
Chris Davis Central Arkansas Sr. C Little Rock, Ark. 3.43, Business Management
Denney Choate Northwestern State So. INF Mansfield, La. 3.30, Health & Human Perf.
Graham Martin Central Arkansas So. INF Dallas, Texas 3.39, Pre-Physical Therapy
Payton Seelinger Central Arkansas Jr. INF North Little Rock, Ark. 3.17, Biology
Justin Roland^ Stephen F. Austin Sr. INF Rockwall, Texas 3.13, Liberal/Social Studies
Adam Bosley^ Stephen F. Austin So. INF Weatherford,Texas 3.82, Finance
Jordan Nipp Northwestern State Jr. OF Amarillo, Texas 3.97, Biology
Chris Houk Central Arkansas Sr. OF Little Rock, Ark. 3.80, Marketing/Pre-Med.
Zach Gardner Stephen F. Austin Jr. OF Sugar Land, Texas 3.62, Finance
Danny Slinkman UT Arlington Sr. DH Arlington, Texas 3.51, Exercise Science
$Student-Athlete of the Year
*CoSIDA Distrcit VI All-Academic
^Tied for Second Team Selection
