The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Baseball Receives ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award
7/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The American Baseball Coaches Association recently announced its inaugural Team Academic Excellence Award, naming UAB one of the top academic programs in the nation for the 2015-16 year.
“We are extremely proud that 31 of our 33 guys earned a 3.0 or better in at least one semester this year,” Head Coach Brian Shoop said. “We think that’s an amazing accomplishment. Our student-athletes, under the direction of Academic Counselor Josh Watson and Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Services Fernandez West, are succeeding academically and graduating at a high rate. We believe success both on and off the field is absolutely possible.”
The first-year honor was awarded to high school and college programs that posted a GPA over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The Blazers are one of just 29 NCAA Division I teams to receive the distinction.
During the 2015-16 academic year, UAB Baseball scored a 3.190 GPA as a team. The Blazers posted a 3.11 in the fall, followed by a 3.289 in the spring. Sophomore infielder Brett Blackwood led the way with back-to-back 4.0 semesters, while senior infielder Jacob Armstrong and student-manager Jesse Shoop each recorded one semester with a 4.0.
Of the team’s nine seniors, four earned their degree in the spring. Three more are scheduled to graduate this summer, and the remaining two will receive their diplomas in the fall.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball). For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
