Exemplifying a model Division III student-athlete, Eric Lawson was announced as a three-peat selection to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Baseball Team, as announced Thursday following a vote of the region's sports information directors.
Lawson, recently recognized as a first team honoree on the All-Northwest Conference Baseball Team, has maintained a 3.91 cumulative grade point average as a double major and two-year co-captain for the Linfield baseball program. He was also named to the Academic All-District team at the conclusion of his sophomore and junior seasons.
The senior third baseman graduates this May with bachelor's degrees in marketing and psychology. He is a member of the prestigious Kemper Scholar program, which provides scholarships, coaching and internships to help students develop practical and professional skills need to become effective leaders. As part of the program, Lawson completed summer internships with Chicago's nonprofit Lookingglass Theatre and with the general merchandise training program at the Fred Meyer headquarters in Portland.
Lawson was also an active member of Linfield's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving on the executive board during his senior year, and helped organize the baseball team's St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraising event.
On the field, Lawson anchored the defensive infield at third base while registering one of the team's highest batting averages. Hitting third in the lineup, he drilled 10 doubles and six home runs as part of a 48-hit season. He finished in the top 10 among Northwest Conference leaders for stolen bases, hits, home runs, RBI and total bases.
Linfield achieved its 25th consecutive 20-win season with a 25-15 overall record, and finished tied for third in the final Northwest Conference team standings.
Since 2006, six Wildcat baseball student-athletes have combined for 12 academic all-district and three all-America citations.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America program, established in the 1950s, and recognizes hundreds of deserving scholar-athletes each year. Student-athletes are nominated by their respective institutions. Voting for Academic All-District is done by current members of the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America; the All-America team is voted upon by Academic All-America Committee members and current CoSIDA Board of Directors.
