Baseball | June 3

DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team had five student-athletes named to College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team on Tuesday.
 
Seniors Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill./Oakton CC) and Mason Ruh (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS), juniors Will Couchman (Edina, Minn./NIACC) and Logan Gregorio (Naperville, Ill./Benedictine), and sophomore Ty Brachbill (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) were honored for their success both in the classroom and on the field.
 
"This group was instrumental in the records we broke this season and it's great to see them recognized for their academic achievements," said head coach Ryan Copeland.
 
This is the second postseason honor for Gregorio who was named to the All-Mid-American Conference second team. Gregorio led NIU with a .332 batting average, 19 doubles, 18 home runs and 69 runs batted in. He finished the regular season second in the MAC in RBI, third in home runs and fifth in doubles. The junior catcher's 18 home runs and 69 RBI are the second-most in a single season in NIU history. Gregorio was named MAC Player of the Week on March 10 after hitting .533 with a 1.267 slugging percentage in NIU's series at Kent State. He carries a 3.71 grade point average in sport management.
 
Smart earned his master's degree in sport management this spring with a 4.0 GPA. He played in 42 games and was one of 10 Huskies to record double-digit RBI as NIU scored a single-season record 416 runs. Couchman started all 46 games he played in his first season at NIU, hitting .295 with nine home runs and 30 RBI. He finished the academic year with a 3.75 GPA in organizational and corporate communications.
 
Ruh and Brachbill were instrumental in the NIU pitching staff setting a single-season record with 450 strikeouts. Brachbill led the Huskies with 75 strikeouts in 70.0 innings pitched. The sophomore has a 3.66 GPA in kinesiology. Ruh finished his career 25 strikeouts this season in 27.1 innings. He graduated this spring with a 3.99 GPA in sport management.
 
To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Team, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore both academically and athletically with a 3.50 cumulative GPA or higher. Eligible nominees must compete in at least 90 percent of games played or start in at least 66 percent of games played. Pitchers must have made at least 17 appearances or thrown at least 35 innings.
 
--NIU--