The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Hicklen Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CoSIDA Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – UAB baseball sophomore Brewer Hicklen was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team on Thursday afternoon. Hicklen, who sports a 3.71 GPA while majoring in information systems, was named to the first team in District 4.
The list is composed of 11 players, just two of which are sophomores, from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The last UAB player to earn this nod was Tyler Mims in 2015.
“Brewer is a model student-athlete,” said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. “He is everything that you want. He performs at an A level in the classroom, professors love him, and the two midweek games were flocked with scouts, videotaping him. Paying attention to him on the field so he is obviously that level of a player. He is an even better person than student or player. Kids love him. He is the epitome of what you would want as a coach, as a parent, as an institution.”
Hicklen has shined on and off the field during his time with the Green & Gold. The everyday centerfielder for Shoop’s squad leads the team with a .336 average, 34 runs, five triples, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 93 total bases, .624 slugging percentage, 18 walks, .417 on-base percentage, and 12 stolen bases.
The Huntsville, Ala., native pieced together a 19-game hitting streak earlier this year, four games shy of the school record, and is currently on a 31-game on-base streak. Hicklen is top three in Conference USA in triples, slugging percentage and stolen bases and is the only player in the nation with at least seven home runs, five triples, and 12 stolen bases.
Hicklen has been named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll both years with the program and was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team a year ago. He is one of only two C-USA players named to the CoSIDA District 4 Team.
The dual-sport athlete is also tasked with having to balance being a wide receiver on the football team to go along with his baseball and academic endeavors.
"In an era where you read about horrific things going on off the field amongst student-athletes, Brewer just does everything right," added Shoop. "It’s nice when great kids are recognized and he is certainly that."
First-team Academic All-District honorees from each of the eight districts advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
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 (@UAB_Athletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uab_athletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
