Gustavus Adolphus senior baseball player Ben Sherer has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team for the third consecutive year. Sherer, a first baseman from Bismarck, North Dakota, is only the second student athlete from Gustavus to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team three times (2004, 2005, and 2006).
Sherer is a four-year starter who has compiled a 3.96 grade point average with a major in biology. He was named a third team Academic All-America selection this year after receiving Third Team honors in 2004 and First Team honors in 2005. A three-time all-conference performer and 2004 MIAC Player of the Year, Sherer recently finished his senior season with a .308 batting average, while leading the team in fielding with 162 putouts, 8 assists and no errors for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Sherer ended his career as one of the top hitters and fielders in the program’s history. He ranks second all-time in career hits (183), third in RBIs (109), doubles (41), and at-bats (507), fourth in runs scored (112), and seventh in batting average (.361) and home runs (14). He also ranks second in career putouts with 699 and is the all-time leader in career fielding percentage at .987. Sherer committed only 9 errors in 747 chances in 156 games during his career.
This is the 55th time that Gustavus has had a student athlete named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team since 1980 and that total ranks 15th all-time amongst Division III institutions. Sherer is the fifth baseball player to earn this distinctive honor and the first to be honored more than one time in his career. Previous winners included Jim Mortinson (1980), Brad Baker (1980), Jeff Cox (1987), and Brad Mazer (2002).
More than 500 players are nominated for the elite College Division award from the 12,000 players in Division II, III and NAIA baseball. Sophomores, juniors and seniors with a 3.20 cumulative gpa or higher are eligible for the award. Voters are members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).