Capital One Academic All-District Teams

WINONA, Minn. — Ben Buerkle (Roseville, Minn.) has enjoyed a pair of banner years for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team.
 
A year ago, the then-freshman turned more than a few heads around the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, being named the conference's Rookie of the Year, while also earning ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Third Team honors—one of just three freshmen among the 50 Division III players named to one of the three region teams.
 
Buerkle picked up right where he left off this season, leading the Cardinals in virtually every offensive category in helping Saint Mary's to a 24-12 overall record—the most wins since the 1995 Cardinal squad when 24-11.
 
And on Thursday, Buerkle added yet another post-season honor to his resume, being named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 Team. Buerkle becomes just the second Saint Mary's baseball player to earn Academic All-District honors, joining Kevin Gannon, who was named to the All-District 6 Team in 2013.
 
The 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-District Baseball Teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. To be eligible for consideration, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution, and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
 
As good as Buerkle was as a freshman, he was even better as a sophomore, leading the team in batting average (.462), hits (61), runs (46), doubles (11), triples (4), home runs (7), RBIs (47), total bases (101), slugging percentage (.765), and on-base percentage (.517). Buerkle—who hit for a doubleheader cycle vs. Carleton on April 25, recording two singles, a double, a triple and a home run, not to mention nine RBIs—had at least one hit in 34 of the team's 36 games this season, while reaching base safely in 35 of the Cardinals' 36 contests.
 
In his first two seasons, Buerkle—who set single-season school records with his 46 runs and 47 RBIs—has put together season-opening hitting streaks of 20 and 15 games, respectively, has had at least one hit in 71 of the 76 games he's played, and has been held off the base paths just twice in 76 career games.

Buerkle was one of five MIAC players named to the 11-player All-District 5 First Team, joining Brett Becker and Logan Hershey of Saint John's, Gustavus' Dalton Mattson, and Nolan Baker of Carleton.
 
First-team Academic All-District ® honorees 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.