Missouri State University

May 3, 2012

Capital One Academic All-District Baseball Teams

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Bears' senior third baseman Brent Seifert became the first Missouri State baseball player in three years to earn a spot on an academic all-district squad when he was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 6 Baseball Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday.

Selected by the voting membership of CoSIDA, the Capital One Academic All-District teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. Nominees must have maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 for at least one academic year at his or her current institution and have participated in at least 50 percent of his or her team's games.

An anchor in the middle of the Bears' lineup all season, Seifert has been one of Missouri State's top run-producers throughout his two-year career, bringing a team-high 37 RBIs into this week's action. The Cameron, Mo., product leads the club in slugging percentage (.488) and on-base percentage (.413), while also sharing the team lead with five home runs. A preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Seifert has driven in the game-winning run seven times in 2012 and ranks among the MVC's individual leaders in walks (third), doubles (fifth), triples (seventh) and RBIs (eighth).

Seifert, who maintains a 3.63 grade-point average as a physical education major, now advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. Fourteen former Bears have earned Academic All-America honors, with Buddy Baumann and Ben Carlson being the most-recent MSU honorees in 2009.

This weekend Missouri State (31-14, 10-4 MVC) travels to Lawrence, Kan., where they will face off against Air Force Friday (May 4) at 2 p.m. to open a three-game non-conference stretch. MSU will take on Air Force again Saturday at 11 a.m., before concluding the week with a 1 p.m. game against host Kansas on Sunday.