Packard named Second Team Academic All-American

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2011 Capital One Academic All-America teams

TOWSON, Md. – Northern Colorado junior designated hitter Ben Packard (Limon, Colo.) was named Tuesday to the Capital One Academic All-America Second Team, becoming the 10th baseball player in school history to earn Academic All-America honors and the first since 1997.

Packard is also the third Bear this year to win the honors, joining First Team selection Devon Beitzel in men's  basketball and Second Team pick Danielle Birdsall in women's soccer.

He was one of 33 NCAA Division I student-athletes named to the teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible for academic all-America honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Packard earned Great West All-Conference Second Team honors Monday and currently leads the Bears with a .383 batting average. He is second on the club with 16 doubles and a .599 slugging percentage, to go along with four triples and four home runs. He's played in 45 of the team's 53 games with 43 starts.

A season ago, Packard was a Northern Colorado pitcher but a back injury followed by a scare during surgery in November prompted a moved to DH in 2011.

During a laminectomy (spine operation to remove a portion of the vertebral bone), he suffered a spinal fluid leak. The surgeons were able to repair the damage but told Packard there was a good chance he'd never play the sport he loved again. Packard was diligent in his rehab, though, and returned to the team in February.

Now, he's the first Bears baseball player honored since Ryan Andre earned Third Team status in 1997. Packard is the first designated hitter ever honored and is the only Great West Conference student-athlete on the three teams announced Tuesday.

He is one of two from District VII on the Second Team, joining Nebraska's pitcher Casey Hauptman. There were also three District VII selections on the Third Team.

Northern Colorado's Baseball Academic All-Americans