May 14, 2009
IRVING, Texas - Eleven Baylor baseball student-athletes earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors, the league office announced Thursday. The Bears placed nine student-athletes on the first team and two on the second team. Baylor led all schools in total honors and was second behind only Missouri (10) in first-team honorees.
The Bears' 11 academic all-conference selections and their nine first-team academic all-conference selections both were the most in program history during the Big 12 era. Baylor had 10 total honorees in 2000 and eight first-team selections last year.
Baylor baseball student-athletes have earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors 73 times in the league's 13-year history, 15 more than any other school in the conference. Nebraska (58) ranks second, followed by Oklahoma State (53), Kansas (44), Missouri (44), Oklahoma (39), Kansas State (35), Texas (32), Texas Tech (30) and Texas A&M (26).
The nine first-team honorees were graduate student third baseman Drew Bias (B.A. English; pursuing Master's degree in sport management), junior shortstop Shaver Hansen (economics), junior pitcher Willie Kempf (finance/real estate), senior catcher Brooks Kimmey (health science studied/pre-med), junior outfielder/pitcher Aaron Miller (management/entrepreneurship), redshirt-freshman pitcher Ross Speed (pre-business), redshirt-sophomore pitcher Shawn Tolleson (health science studies/pre-dental), junior pitcher Kendal Volz (finance/real estate) and sophomore second baseman Landis Ware (graphic design).
Redshirt-freshmen outfielders Don Lambert (pre-business) and Brooks Pinckard (general studies) earned second-team honors.
Hansen, Kempf, Miller, Tolleson and Volz all were first-team selections for the second consecutive season. Kimmey, Speed, Ware, Lambert and Pinckard all were selected in their first year of eligibility for academic all-conference honors.
The 2009 Academic All-Big 12 teams consist of 71 student-athletes with 52 first-team honorees. First-team members have recorded GPAs of 3.20 or better, while second-team members have posted GPAs between 3.00 and 3.19. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or during the two previous semesters.
All position players must participate in 60 percent of their team's games. Pitchers are required to have at least 1.0 inning pitched per team game or participate in 20 percent of their team's total games. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Seniors with a minimum of two years participation who meet all criteria except participation percentage also are eligible.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for a three-game series at Nebraska. The Bears and Huskers meet Friday at 6:05 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
