Taylor, Palensky Earn Academic All-District Awards
May 1, 2014 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Senior infielder Caleb Palensky and sophomore infielder Clayton Taylor were named to the 2014 Academic All-District 7 Baseball Team on Thursday, it was announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The team was selected by a vote of sports information directors whose institutions are located within CoSIDA District 7, which includes the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
It marks the first career inclusion on an academic all-district team for both Palensky and Taylor. They now advance to the Academic All-America ballot and will be considered for national accolades later this month.
The duo make up Omaha's fifth and sixth academic all-district selections in baseball program history. UNO has had three academic all-district selections since beginning the Division I reclassification, the last being junior Alex Mortensen in 2013.
Palensky, a four-year starter for Omaha, has batted .326 in his senior campaign. The Papillion-LaVista South product has 11 doubles, one triple, four homers, 21 runs scored and 30 RBI.
An exercise science major with a minor in emergency management, he carries a 3.94 grade-point average and will graduate with his bachelor's degree in 2015. Palensky is a member of the UNO Chancellor's List, Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, Summit League Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Taylor has been a two-year starter for the Mavericks, and he leads the team with a .367 batting average this season. The Mount Michael graduate has a team-best 51 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 36 RBI, as well as 32 runs scored. Taylor's .647 slugging percentage ranks eighth nationally and also leads the Summit League.
He carries a 3.80 GPA in IT innovation with a minor in marketing. Taylor is a member of the honors program and the UNO Dean's List, and he is a UNO Scott Scholar for Engineering/Information Technology and a UNO Distinguished Scholar.
2014 CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT 7 FIRST TEAM
Pos. -- Student-Athlete, School -- Year, Hometown, GPA, Major
P -- Doug Ashby, Baylor -- Sr., McKinney, Texas, 4.0, Engineering
P -- John Curtiss, Texas -- Jr., Southlake, Texas -- 3.85, English and History
C -- Russell Vaughan, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -- Sr., Mesa, Ariz., 4.0, Health Sciences
INF -- Caleb Palensky, Omaha -- Sr., Papillion, Neb., 3.94, Exercise Science
INF -- Sam Haggerty, New Mexico -- So., Denver, Colo., 3.78, Finance
INF -- Clayton Taylor, Omaha -- So., Omaha, Neb., 3.80, IT Innovation
INF -- Ross Kivett, Kansas State -- Sr., Broadview Heights, Ohio, 3.32, Communications
OF -- Dylan Fitzgerald, TCU -- Sr., Santa Ana, Calif., 3.60, Communications
OF -- Gage Green, Oklahoma State -- Jr., Wichita Falls, Texas, 3.44, Human Performance-Exercise and Health
OF -- Jason Stone, Incarnate Word -- Sr., Georgetown, Texas, 3.71, Vision Science
DH -- Justin Montemayor, Houston -- So., Austin, Texas, 3.30, Business
It marks the first career inclusion on an academic all-district team for both Palensky and Taylor. They now advance to the Academic All-America ballot and will be considered for national accolades later this month.
The duo make up Omaha's fifth and sixth academic all-district selections in baseball program history. UNO has had three academic all-district selections since beginning the Division I reclassification, the last being junior Alex Mortensen in 2013.
Palensky, a four-year starter for Omaha, has batted .326 in his senior campaign. The Papillion-LaVista South product has 11 doubles, one triple, four homers, 21 runs scored and 30 RBI.
An exercise science major with a minor in emergency management, he carries a 3.94 grade-point average and will graduate with his bachelor's degree in 2015. Palensky is a member of the UNO Chancellor's List, Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, Summit League Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Taylor has been a two-year starter for the Mavericks, and he leads the team with a .367 batting average this season. The Mount Michael graduate has a team-best 51 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 36 RBI, as well as 32 runs scored. Taylor's .647 slugging percentage ranks eighth nationally and also leads the Summit League.
He carries a 3.80 GPA in IT innovation with a minor in marketing. Taylor is a member of the honors program and the UNO Dean's List, and he is a UNO Scott Scholar for Engineering/Information Technology and a UNO Distinguished Scholar.
2014 CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT 7 FIRST TEAM
Pos. -- Student-Athlete, School -- Year, Hometown, GPA, Major
P -- Doug Ashby, Baylor -- Sr., McKinney, Texas, 4.0, Engineering
P -- John Curtiss, Texas -- Jr., Southlake, Texas -- 3.85, English and History
C -- Russell Vaughan, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -- Sr., Mesa, Ariz., 4.0, Health Sciences
INF -- Caleb Palensky, Omaha -- Sr., Papillion, Neb., 3.94, Exercise Science
INF -- Sam Haggerty, New Mexico -- So., Denver, Colo., 3.78, Finance
INF -- Clayton Taylor, Omaha -- So., Omaha, Neb., 3.80, IT Innovation
INF -- Ross Kivett, Kansas State -- Sr., Broadview Heights, Ohio, 3.32, Communications
OF -- Dylan Fitzgerald, TCU -- Sr., Santa Ana, Calif., 3.60, Communications
OF -- Gage Green, Oklahoma State -- Jr., Wichita Falls, Texas, 3.44, Human Performance-Exercise and Health
OF -- Jason Stone, Incarnate Word -- Sr., Georgetown, Texas, 3.71, Vision Science
DH -- Justin Montemayor, Houston -- So., Austin, Texas, 3.30, Business
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
