GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Five Bellevue University baseball student-athletes were honored by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) when the CSC announced their Academic All-District award winners on Tuesday.
Senior pitcher Dustin Schorie (Chandler, Ariz.), junior third baseman Nick Grade (Kennewick, Wash.), junior outfielder Steven Elsner (San Francisco, Calif.), sophomore shortstop Brendan Luther (Mississauga, Ontario), and sophomore outfielder Anthony Lind (Omaha, Neb.) have all earned the distinction of being BU's first CSC Academic All-District baseball honorees.
Schorie was a second team all-NSAA selection this season, twice earning NSAA Pitcher of the Week accolades, as well as being a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He pitched to a 7-2 record with a 3.39 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, stuck out 70 batters in 85 innings, and logged four complete games including a trio of shutouts.
Grade was a second team all-NSAA selection, the NSAA Gold Glove winner at third base, BU's Male Academic Athlete of the Year, and a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He hit .275 with a .746 OPS, four home runs, 32 runs batted in, and 36 runs scored. He posted a .961 fielding percentage in 127 total chances while manning the hot corner and helped turn seven double plays.
Elsner was the NSAA Newcomer of the Year and a first team all-NSAA selection in the outfield. He hit .357 with a team-leading 1.199 OPS, 34 extra-base hits, and 45 runs scored. His 19 home runs and 62 RBI were each good for second on the team. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts and registered a .962 fielding percentage between the outfield and a handful of games at first.
Luther was a first team all-NSAA selection and the NSAA Gold Glove winner at shortstop while also earning Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. He his .381 with a 1.066 OPS, 20 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 40 runs batted in, and 36 runs scored. He secured a .974 fielding percentage in 191 chances up the middle and helped the Bruins turn 25 double plays.
Lind was a first team all-NSAA selection and NSAA Gold Glove winner in right field this season while also taking home Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. He his .350 with a 1.024 OPS, totaled 18 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, drove in 29 runs, scored 44 runs, and was successful on 21-of-24 stolen base attempts. He also played errorless defense in right field for the second-straight season, handling 93 total chances.
The 2023-24 Academic All-District Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced July 2. The CSC Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes listed at the links above.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions II and III Academic All-America programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.
Bellevue finished the 2024 season with a 39-14 overall record, going 21-2 in NSAA play to capture both the regular season and tournament titles. The Bruins, who spent the entire season ranked inside the top 20 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, made their 26th appearance in the NAIA National Tournament when they played in the Opening Round – Williamsburg Bracket.
