Southwestern's Cates; TLU's Jacobs Named to First Team Academic All-District

Southwestern's Cates; TLU's Jacobs Named to First Team Academic All-District

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Will Cates of Southwestern University and Zach Jacobs of Texas Lutheran University were named First Team Academic All-District selections by CoSIDA. FULL RELEASE

Cates is just the fourth Southwestern baseball player to earn the honor and the first since Brantley Freeman earned an Academic All-District spot in 2009. He is a biochemistry major and boasts a 3.75 grade point average.

He was named the SCAC Player of the Year earlier this year. A junior outfielder from Cy Fair, Texas, Cates is currently leading the SCAC in nearly every offensive category. He is tops in batting average (.405), hits (64), triples (eight), total bases (104), slugging percentage (.658), runs scored (48) and stolen bases (29). He is also in the top 10 in the league in doubles (9 – seventh), home runs (5 – third), runs batted in (36 – third) and on-base percentage (.438 – fifth).

Jacobs has been a four-year starter for the Bulldogs, providing consistent defense at the all-important shortstop position, while also giving the TLU lineup plenty of offense.
 
As much as Jacobs's athletic achievements should be recognized, his work in the classroom is even more impressive. With one more semester to go, the senior currently boasts a 3.97 GPA as he works towards a degree in kinesiology.
 
His outstanding work in the classroom was recognized last week at TLU's annual athletics awards ceremony, as he was tabbed TLU's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Jacobs also earned a spot on the Capital One Academic All-District 8 squad two years ago, as a sophomore.
 
This year, Jacobs garnered All-SCAC Second Team honors for his play on the field. He finished second on the team with 30 runs scored, while racking up a career-high 40 hits with a .272 batting average.

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. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic AllAmerica honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.