May 24, 2005
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla - 2005 Big 12 Conference Champion Baylor placed five student-athletes on the league's academic all-conference teams, announced Tuesday by the league office. Zach Dillon, Michael Griffin, Ryan LaMotta and Sean Walker earned first-team honors, while Jeff Mandel was a second-team selection.
With this year's four first-team selections, Baylor baseball student-athletes have received 45 first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors in the league's nine-year existence. That total leads the conference, ahead of Nebraska (38) and Oklahoma State (34).
Dillon, Griffin and Walker all are three-team first-team recipients, joining Eric Nelson (1997-99), Jon Topolski (1997-99), Preston Underdown (1998-2000), Ross Bennett (2000, 2002-03) and Tim Hartshorn (2000-02) as Baylor's only three-time honorees. LaMotta was named first team for the second consecutive year; this is Mandel's first academic all-conference selection.
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 Wednesday at the Big 12 Conference Tournament, held at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. The Bears face seventh-seeded Kansas at 1 p.m. CDT. Baylor swept the season series against Kansas at Lawrence.
