(Portions of this story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University and Trinity University)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Pat Hirschberg of Trinity University and Derek Kanas of Texas Lutheran University were recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom as they were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) Capital One Academic All-American First Team on Wednesday afternoon. Complete Release
A second team All-American selection a year ago, Hirschberg led the Tigers to their eighth SCAC Title while earning first team Academic All-American honors as an outfielder in 2014.
At the start of the 2014 campaign, Hirschberg was elected a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American. In the 2013 postseason, Hirschberg was named to All-America Teams by the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com. In addition, Hirschberg was voted the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year. He finished in the top-five in nearly every offensive category in the conference.
Hirschberg, who earned his undergraduate degree in 2013 and is currently in graduate school, is a business administration-accounting major at Trinity, with a 3.81 grade point average.
This season, Hirschberg led the team with
seven home runs and four triples, driving in a team-best 41 RBI and
hitting .337 (55-163) to lead the team. He also scored 46 runs and
stole 13 bases in 15 attempts. He was an All-SCAC selection as well
as second team All-Region selection by D3baseball.com. The Tigers
went onto the NCAA West Regional where they were eventually
eliminated by Regional Champion Linfield.
Kanas became the Bulldogs' 23rd overall Academic
All-American and just the sixth First Team selection in school
history. He was named to the Academic All-American First Team
as a designated hitter. The 6-foot-4, left-handed hitting Kanas
played in all 44 games for the Bulldogs in 2014 and started in 43.
He hit .310, led the team in doubles (12) and drove in 19. He
scored a team-best 31 runs and added six stolen bases.
A May graduate of TLU, Kanas carried a 3.84 grade-point average
while majoring in physics. He was named TLU's 2013-14 Male
Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Kanas was named to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
2014 First Team All-Conference and to the 2014 SCAC Championship
All-Tournament Team. Kanas and the Bulldogs produced an overall
record of 27-17 in 2014 and finished as the SCAC runner-up. Kanas
was a starter on TLU's 2013 squad that played in the NCAA Division
III Baseball Championship (West Region participant).
Kanas joins TLU football player Matt Alves (2007-08), men's
basketball player Tommy Stolhandske (2004-05), women's basketball
player Chantel Mize (1998-99), and football player Allen Cain
(2011-12 and 2012-13) as the only First Team Academic
All-America® selections in TLU history.
He was named to the Academic All-American First Team as a
designated hitter. The 6-foot-4, left-handed hitting Kanas played
in all 44 games for the Bulldogs in 2014 and started in 43. He hit
.310, led the team in doubles (12) and drove in 19. He scored a
team-best 31 runs and added six stolen bases.
A May graduate of TLU, Kanas carried a 3.84 grade-point
average while majoring in physics. He was named TLU's 2013-14 Male
Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Kanas was named to the Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference 2014 First Team All-Conference and to the 2014 SCAC
Championship All-Tournament Team. Kanas and the Bulldogs produced
an overall record of 27-17 in 2014 and finished as the SCAC
runner-up. Kanas was a starter on TLU's 2013 squad that played in
the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship (West Region
participant).
The 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III
Baseball Team is selected by the College Sports Information
Directors of America (CoSIDA). A First, Second and Third Team
Academic All-America® are selected by CoSIDA.
Hirschberg and Kanas advanced to the national ballot after
being named to the Academic All-District 8 First Team. For Academic
All-District 8 honors, they competed against baseball
student-athletes from colleges and universities in Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana,
Montana, North Dakota, New England, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma,
Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and
Canada.
Voting on the national Academic All-America® ballot
included First Team honorees from all eight nationwide
districts.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration,
a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve,
maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have
reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her
current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information
director.