University of Louisville infielder Drew Ellis was named Thursday as the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year as the Cardinals led all programs with 10 All-ACC Academic Team selections.
Ellis is the first Louisville player to earn the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. Joining Ellis on the All-ACC Academic Team from the Cardinals were pitcher Nick Bennett, pitcher Sam Bordner, catcher Colby Fitch, shortstop Devin Hairston, pitcher Lincoln Henzman, outfielder Colin Lyman, outfielder Josh Stowers, outfielder Logan Taylor and pitcher Adam Wolf.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career for undergraduate students. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
Ellis helped lead the Cardinals to the College World Series in his final season at Louisville. The junior earned All-America First Team honors from ABCA, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game to go along with All-America Second Team recognition from Baseball America and NCBWA. A sports administration major from Jeffersonville, Indiana, Ellis was named to the Dean’s List and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll this year. The All-ACC First Team honoree led the conference with a .701 slugging percentage and ranked in the top 10 in home runs (No. 2) with 20, total bases (No. 2) with 162, batting average (No. 5 at .355), on-base percentage (No. 6 at .448), runs batted in (No. 7 with 61), hits (No. 8 with 82), and walks (No. 10 with 40). Ellis was selected 44th overall in the second round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and has signed a professional contract with the club.
Bordner, Hairston and Henzman were both All-American and All-ACC performers on the field this season to go along with their success in the classroom. Fitch was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner with the highest GPA at the College World Series and was an All-ACC selection, while Bennett earned Freshman All-American and All-ACC honors during his first collegiate season.
The Cardinals closed their record-setting 2017 season with a 53-12 mark overall after making the program’s fourth College World Series appearance. Louisville set school record for victories in a season surpassing the previous record of 51 achieved in 2013 while also winning its opening game in Omaha for the first time in its four CWS berths. The 2017 season also included the program’s third straight ACC Atlantic Division championship while McKay was the program’s first National Player of the Year.
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2017 ACC BASEBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Drew Ellis, Jr., Louisville (Sports Administration)
2017 ALL-ACC ACADEMIC BASEBALL TEAM
Jack Nelson, So., Boston College (Political Science)
Charlie Barnes, Jr., Clemson (Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Management) @
Andrew Cox, GR, Clemson (Athletic Leadership)
Logan Davidson, Fr., Clemson ( Pre-Business)
Tyler Jackson, GR, Clemson (Athletic Leadership)
Weston Jackson, GR, Clemson (Business Administration)
Pat Krall, Sr., Clemson (Management) @
Chase Pinder, Jr., Clemson (Sport Communication) #
Ryan Day, Jr., Duke (Sociology)
Nick Hendrix, GR, Duke (Master of Management Studies)
Jimmy Herron, So., Duke (Political Science)
Zack Kone, So., Duke (Economics) @
Kevin Lewallyn, Sr., Duke (Political Science)
Michael Smiciklas, Jr., Duke (Sociology)
Drew Carlton, Jr., Florida State (Economics) @
Drew Mendoza, Fr., Florida State (Mathematics)
Micah Carpenter, So., Georgia Tech (Business Admin)
Trevor Craport, Jr., Georgia Tech (Biology) @
Kel Johnson, Jr., Georgia Tech (Biology) #
Coleman Poje, RSr., Georgia Tech (Industrial Engineering)
Nick Bennett, Fr., Louisville (Sports Administration)
Sam Bordner, So., Louisville (Accountancy)
Drew Ellis, Jr., Louisville (Sports Administration)
Colby Fitch, Jr., Louisville (Exercise Science) @
Devin Hairston, Jr., Louisville (Sports Administration) #
Lincoln Henzman, Jr., Louisville (Sports Administration) @
Colin Lyman, Sr., Louisville (Finance) @
Josh Stowers, So., Louisville (Sports Administration)
Logan Taylor, Sr., Louisville (Accountancy)
Adam Wolf, So., Louisville (Marketing)
Jeb Bargfeldt, Jr., Miami (Criminology)
Evan McKendry, Fr., Miami (Finance)
Brian Brown, Jr., NC State (Sport Management) #
Andy Cosgrove, Jr., NC State (Communication)
Brett Kinneman, So., NC State (Business Administration) @
Gianluca Dalatri, Fr., North Carolina (Exercise and Sport Science)
Kyle Fiala, Sr., Notre Dame (Finance) @
Eric Gilgenbach, So., Notre Dame (Finance)
Sean Guenther, Jr., Notre Dame (Finance) @
Jake Johnson, Jr., Notre Dame (Finance)
Isaac Mattson, Jr., Pitt (Mechanical Engineering)
Caleb Parry, RJr., Pitt (Biology)
Jacob Wright, RSr., Pitt (Biology) #
Robbie Coman, GR, Virginia (Higher Education)
Tommy Doyle, Jr., Virginia (Foreign Affairs)
Chesdin Harrington, So., Virginia (American Studies)
Nick Anderson, RJr., Virginia Tech (Political Science)
Mac Caples, Sr., Virginia Tech (Public Relations)
Connor Coward, Jr., Virginia Tech (Marketing)
Sam Fragale, RJr., Virginia Tech (Human Nutrition Food and Exercise) @
Ben Breazeale, Sr., Wake Forest (Psychology)
Parker Dunshee, Sr., Wake Forest (Finance) %
Jake Mueller, So., Wake Forest (Psychology)
Bruce Steel, RSo., Wake Forest (Economics)
@ Two-time honoree
# Three-time honoree
% Four-time honoree
Garett Wall
Assistant Sports Information Director
