May 10, 2001
Schmitz and Knust receive Verizon Academic All-District honors
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A pair of Calvin spring sports athletes have received Verizon
Academic All-District honors as junior Matt Schmitz has been named to the
Verizon Academic All-District IV first team in baseball while junior Susannah
Knust has been named to the All-District IV second team in softball.
As a member of the first team, Schmitz advances to the national ballot and is
now eligible for Verizon Academic All-America consideration.
Both players are receiving Verizon Academic All-District honors in the college
division. The college division of the Verizon Academic All-America program
includes NCAA II, NCAA III and NAIA schools. The Verizon Academic All-District
and All-America teams are selected by the College Sports Information Director's
Association of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible for nomination by an
institution's sports information director, a player must be a starter or a key
reserve with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20.
A native of Ionia and a graduate of Ionia High School, Schmitz is the first-ever
Calvin athlete to receive Verizon Academic All-District honors in baseball. A
double-major in biochemistry and economics, Schmitz carries a 3.65 grade point
average with plans to attend medical school upon graduating from Calvin.
Schmitz is a five-time member of the Calvin Dean's List and a two-time member of
the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
On the diamond, Schmitz has served as Calvin's top relief pitcher the past three
years. This spring, Schmitz fashioned a 5-2 pitching record along with four
saves and a superb 2.97 ERA. He also appeared in a team-high 19 games on the
mound while striking out 18 batters against just 10 walks in 33.1 innings
pitched. During his three-year collegiate career, Schmitz has produced a 10-4
pitching record along with nine career saves.
Schmitz helped lead the Calvin baseball team to its second straight 20-win
season as the Knights finished 21-16 overall including 12-6 in the Michigan
Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Knust is receiving Verizon Academic All-District IV second team honors for the
second straight year. An education major with an emphasis in Spanish, Knust
also carries a 3.65 grade point average and is a five-time member of the Calvin
Dean's List and a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
This spring, Knust batted .310 and collected a team-high 35 hits. She was also
voted to the All-MIAA second team after receiving All-MIAA first team honors in
2000 and Great Lakes All-Region third team accolades in 1999.
The Calvin softball team finished 14-22 this spring along with a 4-10 record in
the MIAA which was good for a sixth place league finish.
-end-
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