Toledo senior outfielder Ben Hammer has earned a spot on the second team of the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Division I Baseball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Hammer
A Wayne, Ohio, native with a 3.90 GPA in exercise science, Hammer batted .333 (65 for 195) with 28 runs scored, 12 doubles, a squad-best four home runs and a team-high 48 RBI this spring. The 2013 first-team All-Mid-American Conference recipient reached base in 44 of 52 contests, tied for the third highest total on the squad. He led the Midnight Blue and Gold in total bases (91), round-trippers, RBI, multi-RBI games (14), sacrifice flies (6) and walks (22), as well as ranked second in two-base hits and slugging percentage (.467), tied for second in batting average, third in hits, on-base percentage (.396), multi-hit contests (21) and thefts (6), and fourth in runs scored.
Hammer wrapped up his Toledo career eighth in school history in career hits (215), tied for eighth in doubles (39) and tied for ninth in RBI (126).
In the classroom, the three-time Academic All-District selection recently was honored with the 2013 MAC President’s Award, given annually to UT seniors who graduate with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Hammer also has been on UT’s dean’s list the last nine semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in eight grade periods.
Since 1952, the College Sports Information Directors of America has honored more than 20,000 outstanding student-athletes with this prestigious award, which became known as the Capital One Academic All-America in 2011. To better honor the diversity of collegiate talent, the program was expanded in 2011 to select teams in four divisions: Division I, Division II, Division III and the College Division, which includes the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, two-year colleges and Canadian schools.
Each year, the Capital One Academic All-America program selects 816 distinguished student-athletes to become part of an honorary team in their respective sports — men’s football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and field/cross-country; women’s basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, track and field/cross-country; and men’s and women’s at-large teams that include all other NCAA championship sports.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average 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.
