May 14, 2020

Record 13 Wildcats Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors

Posted May 14, 2020 10:30 AM
kstatesports.com
kstatesports.com

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State placed a program-record 13 student-athletes on the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Baseball Teams, including eight first-team selections and five second-team nods, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Junior Zach Kokoska was one of just three student-athletes in the conference to boast a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, earning the initial first-team accolade of his career. The eight Wildcats on the first team equaled the program record (2018) while the five on the second team set a new high.

Joining Kokoska on the first team were Luke Bay, Gavin Hinchliffe, Caleb Littlejim, Dylan Phillips, Carson Seymour, Cameron Thompson and Jordan Wicks.

K-State's second-team selections consisted of Mason Crews, Tyler Eckberg, Griffin Hassall, Terrence Spurlin and Andrew Stratman.

Littlejim collects his second first-team honor while Eckberg and Thompson each earn the second Academic All-Big 12 selections of their respective careers. Spurlin takes home his second straight second-team academic accolade.

Crews, Phillips and Wicks were each named to the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team a season ago while Bay, Hassall, Hinchliffe, Seymour and Stratman all earned their first career awards.

In total, the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Team featured 125 student-athletes, with 82 making up the first team with 43 on the second team.

First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA while second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Due to the shortened season (COVID-19, student-athletes did not need to meet a participation requirement.

The Wildcats ended the 2020 campaign with a record of 10-7, winning seven of their final nine games in head coach Pete Hughes' second season.