Four members of the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. This award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Gavin Wahlbrink, Mack Clark, Jacob Newman, and TJ Yakimisky were recognized.

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes were required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 and meet strict participation guidelines as a starter or key reserve player. Graduate students and transfers were eligible for nomination, while freshmen were not.

Gavin Wahlbrink, a senior starting pitcher from Chatham, Ill., was the first of four honorees for UIS. The right-hander went 4-3 on 13 starts in 2024 totaling 70.0 innings and 51 strikeouts. Wahlbrink studied finance at UIS.

Mack Clark, a biology major from Overland Park, Kan., also earned Academic All-District honors. The outfielder started 38 games in 2024, totaling 45 hits and 9 home runs.

Jacob Newman, a starting pitcher from Glenview, Ill., had a 4-5 record on 14 appearances in 2024. The redshirt senior struck out 65 in 54.2 innings this spring. Newman studied educational leadership at UIS. 

TJ Yakimisky, the team's starting first baseman from Mundelein, Ill., earned Academic All-District honors for the first time in his career. He started 44 games for the Prairie Stars in 2024, batting .323 and totaling a career-best 54 hits on the season. Yakimisky studied communication at UIS.

Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced July 2, 2024.

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 2023-24 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.

For more information about the CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.

CSC Academic All-District Team