STAMFORD, CT – Elon University first baseman and cleanup hitter Jim Swenson has been chosen to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America Baseball Second Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Tuesday.
The honor represents the fourth time in three years that an Elon athlete has been dubbed a Verizon Academic All-American in the university division. The college division is comprised of institutions from the NCAA-II, NCAA-III and NAIA ranks combined while the university division consists exclusively of NCAA-I student-athletes. The Phoenix joined the university division in the fall of 1999.
During his senior season, Swenson, a cum laude graduate last month, started all 57 of Elon’s games, amassing 66 hits, 18 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 39 runs scored and 60 RBI while maintaining a .314 batting average. The Richmond, VA native helped the Phoenix to a 34-23 record, a Big South Conference regular season runner-up finish and an NCAA Regional appearance.
During his career at Elon, the four-year starter achieved a .306 batting average for 207 games. He collected 230 hits, 48 doubles, eight triples, 30 home runs, 136 runs scored and 165 RBI.
Swenson was named the Big South Player of the Week twice, including once this season. As a senior, the team co-captain led the Phoenix in doubles, home runs and RBI while ranking among the Big South’s top five players in all three categories.
Despite missing 20 games due to a broken thumb as a junior, Swenson finished his career ranked among Elon’s all-time leaders in RBI (second with 165), doubles (second with 48), hits (third with 230), home runs (fourth with 30) and runs scored (fifth with 136). He became the Phoenix single-season record holder in RBI with his 60th of the year at the Clemson Regional Saturday afternoon.
Swenson has appeared on the Second Team All-Big South once, the Big South All-Tournament squad once, the Academic All-Big South unit three times, the Verizon Academic All-District team once, the Elon Dean’s List four times, the Elon President’s List once and the Elon Athletics Director’s Honor Roll seven times.
Swenson, who completed his career with a 3.65 cumulative GPA in computer science, was honored last month as both the A.L. Hook Scholar-Athlete and the Big South Conference Scholar-Athlete. He received both the Hook honor (for academics) and the Danieley Memorial Scholarship (for sportsmanship) at Elon’s annual athletics awards banquet last month.
The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible for nomination, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve who maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. CoSIDA has been selecting Academic All-America teams since 1952.
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2002 VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA UNIVERSITY DIVISION BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM – P: Lance Cormier, Alabama (Sr., Lafayette, LA, 3.56 GPA in Finance), Randy Corn, The Citadel (Sr., Blythwood, SC, 3.89 GPA in Physical Education); C: Derek Johnson, Columbia (Sr., Pompton Plains, NJ, 3.69 GPA in Political Science), (tie) Chris Westervelt, Stetson (So., Batesville, AR, 3.94 GPA in Computer Information Systems); IF: Matt Deckman, Ball State (Gr., Parker City, IN, 3.93 GPA in Exercise Science), Mike DeRenzo, Penn State (Sr., Murrysville, PA, 3.76 GPA in Computer Engineering), David Licini, New Mexico State (Sr., Granger, IN, 3.95 GPA in Biochemistry), Ryan Schade, Western Carolina (Sr., Lewisburg, PA, 3.85 GPA in Sport Management); OF: Tom Beechem, Dayton (Jr., Park Hills, KY, 4.00 GPA in Mechanical Engineering), Charles Bilezikjian, St. John’s (Sr., Staten Island, NY, 3.89 GPA in Education), Jeff Leise, Nebraska (Jr., Omaha, NE, 3.85 GPA in Psychology); DH: Todd Crawford, Seton Hall (Sr., Millersville, PA, 3.83 GPA in Diplomacy & International Relations).
SECOND TEAM – P: Shane Komine, Nebraska (Sr., Honolulu, HI, 3.21 GPA in Sociology), Sam Narron, East Carolina (Jr., Goldsboro, NC, 3.75 GPA in Biology), (tie) Steve Rowe, Texas Tech (Sr., Houston, TX, 3.71 GPA in Finance); IF: Matthew Boggs, Georgia Tech (Sr., Dalton, GA, 3.31 GPA in Textile Engineering), Andrew Bushey, Notre Dame (Sr., Boardman, OH, 3.40 GPA in Finance), Chris O’Riordan, Stanford (Sr., San Diego, CA, 3.47 GPA in Political Science), Jim Swenson, Elon (Sr., Richmond, VA, 3.65 GPA in Computer Science); OF: Gregg Davies, Towson (Sr., Olney, MD, 3.47 GPA in Business Management), Josh Phifer, Air Force (Jr., Torrington, WY, 3.85 GPA in Operations Research), David Stone, Virginia (Sr., Frederick, MD, 3.91 GPA in Biology); DH: Jason Cooper, Stanford (Jr., Moses Lake, WA, 3.37 GPA in Anthropological Science).
THIRD TEAM – P: John Corcoran, Butler (Sr., Minooka, IL, 3.26 GPA in Secondary Education); C: Ran Prince, McNeese State (Jr., Sulpher, LA, 3.47 GPA in Health & Human Performance); IF: Adam Howes, Air Force (Jr., Phoenix, AZ, 3.55 GPA in Economics), James Jurries, Tulane (Sr., Lake Jackson, TX, 3.31 GPA in Business), Eric Rodland, Gonzaga (Jr., Snohomish, WA, 3.70 GPA in Mechanical Engineering), Travis Welsch, Northern Iowa (Sr., Muscatine, IA, 3.49 GPA in Management); OF: Josh Brummett, Belmont (Jr., Owensboro, KY, 3.94 GPA in Business), Tim Frend, Davidson (Sr., Cumberland Foreside, ME, 3.52 GPA in Economics), Eddie Scott, Albany (Sr., Kingston, NY, 3.65 GPA in Psychology), (tie) Brian Stavisky, Notre Dame (Jr., Port Allegany, PA, 3.52 GPA in Business Management); DH: Beau Hearod, Alabama (Jr., Jennings, LA, 3.75 GPA in Finance).
VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN OF THE YEAR – Jeff Leise, Nebraska
ELON’S ALL-TIME VERIZON UNIVERSITY DIVISION ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
2000 – John Marshall, Men’s Golf (Second Team Spring At-Large)
2001 – Julianne Treme, Women’s Tennis (Second Team Spring At-Large)
2001 – John Marshall, Men’s Golf (First Team Spring At-Large)
2002 – Jim Swenson, Baseball (Second Team Baseball)
-- 100 YEARS OF ELON BASEBALL --
