The Wayne State College baseball team had five players named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team announced Tuesday morning.  Graduate student outfielder Colin Lynam and junior pitchers Kolt Davis and Jacob Kneifl were repeat Academic All-District selections while junior pitcher Josh Kilzer and junior shortstop Quinn McCafferty were also named Academic All-District.  McCafferty and Lynam also advanced to the CSC Academic All-America ballot with All-America selections announced Tuesday, July 2^nd. 
            The College Sports Communicators Academic All-America program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom.  Student athletes must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.50 or higher and play in at least 90 percent of the team's games and/or start in 66 percent of games or pitch in 17 games and/or 25 innings pitched.
            Davis, a graduate of Johnson-Brock HS, is a junior majoring in criminal justice with a 3.59 grade point average and is one of three Wildcats to earn repeat Academic All-District honors.  On the mound this season, he recorded a 3-1 record in 11 games and nine starts with a 8.13 ERA pitching 34.1 innings.  Davis worked three innings of scoreless relief in a 7-2 win at Missouri S&T (3/3/24) and matched a season-high with five strikeouts in a win over Davis & Elkins on March 7^th.
            Kilzer, a junior right-hander from Omaha (Ralston HS), maintains a 3.70 grade point average majoring in sport management.  On the hill this season, Kilzer posted a 4-1 record in 17 relief appearances with a 4.25 ERA pitching 29.2 innings with 28 strikeouts.  Two of his four wins this season came against Minnesota Crookston, highlighted by a season-high 4 2/3 innings of hitless relief with six strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Golden Eagles at the NSIC Tournament May 9^th.
            Kneifl, a junior left-hander from Wayne is a repeat Academic All-District selection with a 3.70 grade point average majoring in pre-med.  He tied for second on the team in appearances this season with 18 and produced a 2-1 record and 5.08 ERA.  Kneifl struck out a season-high five batters in three innings of hitless relief vs. #16 Augustana on April 17^th and recorded wins vs. Bemidji State (2/11/24) and Minot State (3/29/24).
            Lynam is a graduate student outfielder from Springfield (Platteview HS) and a repeat Academic All-District selection with a 3.59 grade point average majoring in education.  This season, Lynam led the Wildcats in batting average at .329 with a team-high 17 doubles, four home runs and 39 RBI.  He tied for the team lead in walks (33) and was second on the team in runs scored (43).  Lynam was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after going 8 for 18 at the plate with three doubles, one homer and five RBI with six runs scored.
            McCafferty, a junior shortstop from Big Horn, Wyoming (Western Nebraska CC), carried a 3.9 grade point average majoring in psychology.  On the field he was one of just two Wildcats to start all 52 games this season batting .315 with one home run and 47 RBI, which ranked second on the team.  McCafferty tied for the team lead this season with 18 multi-hit games and had 14 games with multiple RBI. 
            Wayne State finished the 2024 season at 29-23 overall (21-16 NSIC/fifth place) and finished in third place in the season-ending NSIC Baseball Tournament in Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota.