Southwest Minnesota State baseball players Chris Eichten and Adam Thygesen were selected by the College Sports Informatnion Directors of America to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II team.
Eichten was named to the first team, while Thygesen was picked as a third-teamer, helping SMSU become one of five schools in the country to have two players named to the Academic All-America team.
Eichten, a Wabasso native, is the third SMSU athlete in school hisotry to earn first team Academic All-America honors, joining football player Bruce Saugstad (1988) and baseball player Brendan Rokke (2004). Eichten finished with a 3.84 grade point average in biology. On the field, he started in 33 games, finishing with a .354 batting average with two doubles, one home run, 26 runs scored and 17 RBIs.
Thygesen, from Red Wing, had a 3.84 GPA in sports management. Playing at second base, Thygesen started in 39 games, finishing with a .341 batting average with a team-high 17 doubles, 26 RBIs and 25 runs scored.
To be eligible for Academic All America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30, and must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing.