May 15, 2008
IRVING, Texas -- Eight Baylor baseball student-athletes were named 2008 Academic All-Big 12 Conference, the league office announced Thursday. All eight earned first-team status. Baylor, which led all schools in first-team honorees, tied Texas and Texas A&M for the second most total Academic All-Big 12 honorees with eight, one less than Nebraska, which had seven first-team honorees and two second-team selections.
The eight Baylor student-athletes honored were senior pitcher Erik Forestiere (political science), sophomore third baseman Shaver Hansen (business), sophomore pitcher Willie Kempf (business), sophomore pitcher Wade Mackey (speech communication), senior pitcher Tim Matthews (political science), sophomore right fielder Aaron Miller (business), redshirt freshman pitcher Shawn Tolleson (health science studies) and sophomore pitcher Kendal Volz (business).
Baylor baseball student-athletes have earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors 64 times in the league's 12-year history, 14 more than any other school in the conference. Nebraska (50) ranks second, followed by Oklahoma State (47), Kansas (40), Oklahoma (37), Missouri (34), Kansas State (31), Texas (29), Texas Tech (26) and Texas A&M (24).
Mackey and Matthews were first-team honorees for the second consecutive season; the other six were all first-time selections in their first year of eligibility.
The 2008 Academic All-Big 12 team consisted of 46 first-team members and 16 second-team selections. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.00 GPA (cumulative or during the previous two semesters). First-team honorees consist of those who have maintained a GPA of at least 3.20; second-team honorees have maintained a GPA between 3.00 and 3.19.
All student-athletes must have participated in at least 60 percent of their team's games, while pitchers are required to have at least one inning pitched per team game or have appeared in 20 percent of their team's total games. True freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible. Senior athletes who have participated for at least two seasons at their school are not required to meet participation minimums.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game series at Texas Tech. The Bears and the Red Raiders meet Friday at 6:05 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
