May 17, 2006
WACO, Texas - Six student-athletes from Baylor's 25th-ranked baseball team earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors, the league office announced. Zach Dillon, Jeff Mandel, Andy Pape and Kevin Russo earned first-team honors, while Ryan LaMotta and Mike Pankratz were second-team selections.
With this year's four first-team selections, Baylor baseball student-athletes have received 49 first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors in the league's 10-year existence. That total leads the conference, ahead of Nebraska (42) and Oklahoma State (37).
Dillon becomes the first Baylor baseball student-athlete to earn first-team honors four times. He joins Eric Nelson (1997-99), Jon Topolski (1997-99), Preston Underdown (1998-2000), Ross Bennett (2000, 2002-03) and Tim Hartshorn (2000-02) as the only Baylor players so honored more than twice.
LaMotta was a second-team honoree each of the past two seasons, while Pape earned first-team honors in 2004. Mandel earned second-team honors last season. Russo and Pankratz both are first-time academic all-conference honorees.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and media relations offices, the baseball academic all-league squad consisted of 29 first team members combined with 18 on the second team. First team members include those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must record a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters. All players nominated must have participated in 60 percent of his team's scheduled contests, while pitchers are required to have at least one inning pitched per game played by the team or have appeared in 35 percent of their team's total games. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Manhattan, Kan., for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Kansas State. The Bears and the Wildcats meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
