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WVU Baseball: Eight players named to Academic All-Big 12 Team

By Phil Poling

Jun 27, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; A B-2 Bomber flies over TD Ameritrade Park before the game between the Arizona Wildcats and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in game one of the College World Series championship series. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 27, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; A B-2 Bomber flies over TD Ameritrade Park before the game between the Arizona Wildcats and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in game one of the College World Series championship series. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the spring semester coming to a close, the Big 12 announced eight WVU baseball players who made great strides in the classroom.

To be eligible for either Academic All-Big 12 Team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 GPA and compete in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled games.

There is a distinction between first and second team honors, though; first team members eclipse a 3.2 GPA, while second team members are between a 3.0 and 3.19.

Three sophomores lead the way on the second team Academic All-Big 12 squad for the ‘Eers, with one lone senior:

  • Cole Austin | Sophomore
  • Jackson Cramer | Senior
  • Darius Hill | Sophomore
  • Jacob Potock | Sophomore

Austin has the most at-bats for the ‘Eers, while his six homeruns rank second; his 61 hits are tied for tops on the squad. Cramer, one of two players to appear in all 50 games this season, is tied for the most hits on the team with 61. Hill’s started 49 contests and has the second-most at-bats with 196. Potock’s appeared in only 10 games and pitched 10.0 innings.

Must Read: Football roster additions

Four others were named to the first team Academic All-Big 12 Team, including three more underclassmen:

  • Kyle Davis | Junior
  • Michael Grove | Sophomore
  • Chase Illig | Sophomore
  • Jackson Sigman | Senior

Davis, who’s the only player to start all 50 games for the ‘Eers this season, leads the team in slugging percentage (.537), total bases (101), RBIs (39) and doubles (12). Grove has started nine games on the mound for WVU, posting a 3-1 record. His 2.87 ERA is good enough for sixth-best on the team; his 61 strikeouts rank second among Mountaineer pitchers. Illig has batted in 16 runs and has a .418 slugging percentage. Sigman has appeared in 30 games this season in relief, and has a record of 3-4.

The showcase of youth on this list props the baseball program up, but should also elevate head coach Randy Mazey among college baseball’s household names. The ‘Eers play rival Pitt in Tuesday’s Backyard Brawl at Monogalia County Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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