Burns and Tanis Garner Capital One Academic All-District Awards from CoSIDA
5/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – Two Mercer baseball student-athletes were named to the Capital One Academic All-District III baseball team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and as announced on Friday morning. Junior outfielder Billy Burns garnered District III first team honors, while junior third baseman Jacob Tanis was named to the second team.
To be eligible for the Academic All-District teams, student-athletes must be starters or important reserves with at least 3.30 cumulative grade point averages. Candidates also must complete at least one full academic year at the nominating institution and be at least sophomores athletically.
With his selection to the first team, Burns is eligible for Academic All-America honors, where first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees will be selected later this month. He was named an All-District III second team member in 2010 and currently carries a 3.85 grade point average as a business major.
On the field, Burns has been the sparkplug of a very potent Mercer offense. The Marietta, Ga., native is hitting .329 this season and leads the Atlantic Sun Conference with 55 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. Burns has shown more pop at the plate from his lead-off spot in the order with 15 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple and five home runs) while leading all Mercer outfielders with five assists.
Tanis was voted onto the second team, thanks to his monster numbers at the plate to go along his 3.41 GPA as a business major. According to the most recent national stats - posted on May 3 - Tanis ranks seventh in the country in RBI (59), 10th in total bases (120), 12th in runs scored (51) and 14th in home runs (13). The Peachtree City, Ga. native is batting .353 this season and is currently in sole possession of fifth place for the most home runs hit in a career in A-Sun history with 46.
Burns and Tanis were two of the eight Academic All-District selections among A-Sun schools, with Mercer joining Jacksonville as the only schools in the conference with multiple selections.
Mercer is in the middle of a week-long break for final exams, but the Bears return to action at 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Athens to take on Georgia at Foley Field.
