Official CoSIDA Release

INDIANAPOLIS – The Malone trio of Matt Noel, Roscoe Blackburn and Keanan Locke became the first-ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in the sport of baseball.
 
Locke was named to the Second Team while Blackburn and Noel were both selected to the Third Team. All three were also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team.
 
The CoSIDA Academic All-America Teams recognize the top student-athletes for both outstanding athletic and academic accomplishments. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve, possess at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale), and have achieved at least sophomore academic status.
 
Locke, Blackburn, and Noel were among just 34 recipients of the prestigious honor. The Malone University baseball team was the only team, out of over 250 in NCAA Division II, to garner three Academic All-American awards.
 
Locke hit .405 during his senior season, leading Malone with eight homeruns and 53 RBI. He also collected a team-high 20 doubles and a .690 slugging percentage. In a season in which he was already named G-MAC Player of the Year as well as First Team All-Midwest Region, the fifth-year senior wrapped up his outstanding career with Academic All-American accolades. Locke boasts a 3.80 GPA at Malone where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing an MBA.
 
Blackburn adds Third Team Academic All-American honors to an impressive 2017 resume that already includes G-MAC Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Midwest Region, and NCBWA Honorable Mention All-American. Blackburn posted a 4-2 record and a 1.42 ERA that ranked third in DII among starting pitchers. In 63.1 innings pitched, the lefthander struck out 69 batters and allowed only eight extra-base hits. Blackburn, a Sport Management major, maintains a 3.48 GPA.
 
Noel was a G-MAC First Team All-Conference selection as well as a D2CCA Second Team All-Midwest Region honoree. Noel led all NCAA DII catchers with a .415 batting average. He also recorded a .500 on-base percentage, fourth among DII catchers, along with 13 doubles and 35 RBI. The second-year backstop was one of only three sophomores to be named Academic All-American. He also becomes Malone's first true sophomore to ever receive the honor. Noel, whose major is Exercise Science, sports a 3.81 GPA.