O'Neill Earns Academic All-District Honors
5/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Stephen F. Austin senior first baseman Dan O'Neill has been named a Capital One Academic All-District selection, announced today by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
O'Neill is one of four infielders named to the District VII team, comprised of Division I programs in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. He is also one of just three Southland Conference players to earn first team Academic All-District honors, joining Lamar pitcher Chase Angelle and Nicholls pitcher Stuart Holmes.
O'Neill has been a constant at first base for the Lumberjacks for the last two seasons, starting 46 of his 47 games played in 2015. He is hitting .264 on the year and ranks among the Lumberjack leaders in a number of categories, including sitting second on the team in doubles (nine), home runs (four) and total bases (67). He also is fourth on the `Jacks in both runs scored (25) and hits (46).
For his career, O'Neill has played in 86 games for SFA with 61 starts, batting .271 with 61 hits, 30 RBI, 14 doubles and three home runs. He has also been one of the most consistent defensive players on the diamond for the `Jacks, recording just nine errors and posting a .983 fielding percentage in his two years in Nacogdoches.
A native of Ridley, Penn., O'Neill boasts a 3.80 GPA, majoring in kinesiology. As a member of the first team Academic All-District VII team, O'Neill advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot where first, second and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain acumulative G.P.A. of 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. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
O'Neill and the rest of the Lumberjacks close out their 2015 Southland Conference schedule this weekend in Beaumont, taking on Lamar in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
2015 Capital One Academic All-District VII Team
First Team
P -- Chase Angelle, Lamar
P -- Alex Estrella, New Mexico
C -- Tyler Floyd, Texas Tech
IF -- Alex Mortensen, Nebraska Omaha
IF -- Dan O'Neill, Stephen F. Austin
IF -- Clayton Taylor, Nebraska Omaha
IF -- Russell Williams, Air Force
OF -- Ryan Boldt, Nebraska
OF -- Logan Brown, Baylor
OF -- Cole Gruber, Nebraska Omaha
DH -- Kirby Taylor, Rice
-SFA-
