Eastern Michigan Athletics
Rhoad and Leonard Earn Academic All-District Honors
5/7/2009 10:57:40 AM | Baseball
Rhoad named first team all-district; Leonard picks up second team honors.
Complete Release (PDF).
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eastern Michigan University senior outfielder Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) has been named 2009 ESPN The Magazine baseball Academic All-District IV first team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced today, May 7. Rhoad will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-America recognition. Sophomore third baseman Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) was also honored, picking up second team all-district honors for the Eagles.
Rhoad and Leonard are the first EMU baseball players to earn academic all-district honors since Jeff Fischer was a second team selection in 2006. Rhoad is the first player to earn first team honors since Brian Bixler did so in 2004. Bixler also went on to earn Academic All-American honors.
Rhoad, a 3.91 GPA in Supply Chain Management (M.B.A.), has started all 49 games in center field for the Eagles this season and leads the team with a .358 batting average. Rhoad has tallied a team-best 28 stolen bases in 29 attempts this season and needs just three more to tie the EMU single season record held by Bixler and Greg Howe. Rhoad was named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award earlier this season.
Leonard, a 3.75 GPA in exercise science, has started 47 games for the Eagles this season and is third on the team with a .321 batting average. Leonard has belted four home runs this season, including a walk-off against Ball State University, May 3. Leonard earned Mid-American Conference Scholar Athlete of the Week honors, March 13.
The EMU baseball team heads to Toledo, Ohio this weekend for a three-game set with the University of Toledo Rockets.
