Van Sickler Named Academic All-America
DELAWARE, Ohio - Junior baseball player Greg Van Sickler has been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America in selections announced Tuesday by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Van Sickler, a 3.54 student as a Business Administration major, was named third team Academic All-America at pitcher. He is the 10th Academic All-American in school history and the second from the baseball program.
Daniel Ziccardy '07 was named as a second teamer in his senior year; Ziccardy's selection started a run in which Shenandoah has had at least one Academic All-American in the past four years.
To be eligible for Academic All-America, student-athletes must be starters or important reserves on their team and have at least a 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale with nominees voted on by CoSIDA members within one of eight national districts. The first team district honorees then move on to the national ballot, from which CoSIDA Academic All-America committee members select first, second and third team Academic All-America teams.
Van Sickler has an 8-2 record on the mound for the No. 7 in the nation Hornets and is hitting .411 with a school record 27 doubles at the plate. Additionally, he was named as the Division III pre-season Player of the Year by Baseball America, the USA South Conference Pitcher of the Year, first team All-USA South at both pitcher and utility and to both the USA South and Fayetteville Regional All-Tournament teams.
Last season, Van Sickler earned All-America honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and is a prime candidate to repeat ABCA honors this season. The ABCA will announce their All-America teams this Thursday evening at the NCAA National Championships banquet.
