Block Claims First Team Academic All-District Accolades
5/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-District Softball Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Southern Miss softball's Danielle Block was named to the first team for District Six.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month and in early June. With her selection to the first team, Block is now eligible for Academic All-America.
Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All-America teams programs since 2011.
The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the fourth year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-America Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
The All-District honor is the 12th in Southern Miss history. Block becomes the ninth player in school history to earn the accolade and the first since 2009. Charity Butler (2004, 2005, 2006) earned the award three times, while Amanda Brown (2002, 2003) was named Academic All-District twice. Jill Vaughn (1990), Kristie Martin (2001), Auriel Jenkins (2004), Melanie Hymel (2004), Kristin Chaney (2008) and Kristin Pilgrim (2009) all received the recognition once.
Earlier today, Block landed on the 2015 Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team the first year she was eligible. She was the only member of the C-USA academic team with a GPA higher than a 3.9.
Block, a sophomore for Phoenix, Ariz., made 27 appearances on the season, including 13 starts in the circle. She led the team in earned run average, opponent batting average, win-loss percentage, wins, conference wins, games in relief and conference strikeouts.
The right-hander posted a two-hit shutout (W, 1-0) against No. 21 South Alabama for her biggest win of the season. The win was the first victory over a ranked opponent for the Golden Eagles since defeating No. 25 Florida State in Tallahassee on March 1, 2013 and the first win at home over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 25 LSU at home on March 16, 2011.
Block was a 2014 Finalist for Southern Miss Female Freshman of the Year. In addition, Block is a two-time Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medalist (3.75 GPA or higher - 2014, 2015) and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.30 GPA or higher - 2014, 2015) honoree.