The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics

UAB Baseball Earns ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award
7/21/2017 4:04:00 PM | Baseball
Blazers Earn Award for Second Consecutive Year
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UAB Baseball team has earned the American Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award for the second consecutive season, as announced by the ABCA office.
The award is given to collegiate and high school baseball programs that maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the academic year. Coaches nominate their teams at the conclusion of the spring semester.
"This is a special honor to be recognized in the top-10 percent of Division I Baseball programs nationwide for our players performance in the classroom," head coach Brian Shoop said. "To have 32-of-34 guys on our team with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in at least one semester is an amazing accomplishment. We are grateful to Josh Watson, our Academic Counselor, for his passion and attention to detail in mentoring our players on a daily basis. We are also thankful to Fernandez West for his leadership over the Academic Arena. We are proud of this team and the way they represent our university."
The Blazers are one of just 38 teams to be recognized by the ABCA for this award and just one of 20 schools to have received it in both years it has been given. In addition, UAB is one of two Conference USA members and one of two schools in the state of Alabama to receive it this year.
Brett Blackwood, Luke Eigsti, Thomas Johns, Carter Pharis and manager Jesse Shoop achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in at least one semester last year. Pharis and Shoop accomplished it in both semesters.
For more information on the UAB Baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
The award is given to collegiate and high school baseball programs that maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the academic year. Coaches nominate their teams at the conclusion of the spring semester.
"This is a special honor to be recognized in the top-10 percent of Division I Baseball programs nationwide for our players performance in the classroom," head coach Brian Shoop said. "To have 32-of-34 guys on our team with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in at least one semester is an amazing accomplishment. We are grateful to Josh Watson, our Academic Counselor, for his passion and attention to detail in mentoring our players on a daily basis. We are also thankful to Fernandez West for his leadership over the Academic Arena. We are proud of this team and the way they represent our university."
The Blazers are one of just 38 teams to be recognized by the ABCA for this award and just one of 20 schools to have received it in both years it has been given. In addition, UAB is one of two Conference USA members and one of two schools in the state of Alabama to receive it this year.
Brett Blackwood, Luke Eigsti, Thomas Johns, Carter Pharis and manager Jesse Shoop achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in at least one semester last year. Pharis and Shoop accomplished it in both semesters.
For more information on the UAB Baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
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