A quartet of Valparaiso University baseball players was recognized as College Sports Communicators released its Academic All-District Teams on Tuesday.

Senior shortstop Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central), senior outfielder Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]), senior outfielder Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) and senior pitcher Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) were all recognized for their academic success.

Thurston, who owns a 3.73 cumulative grade point average in sports management, started all 52 games for Valpo and compiled a .279 overall batting average, third on the team, to go along with six home runs and 20 RBIs. He hit .308 in Missouri Valley Conference play, third on the team, and was a four-year starter for the Beacons.  

Husmann, who owns a 3.94 GPA toward his master’s of business administration after graduating from Bradley with a 3.52 GPA, played in 45 games and made 43 starts while slugging nine home runs and driving in 32 this season. He enjoyed a two-homer game on April 28 at UIC including a grand slam and hit 32 career home runs.

Ryan, a 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team Honoree and 2022 MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention performer, posted a 3.92 GPA in finance and business administration. He robbed two home runs in his career – April 28, 2023 at Missouri State and exactly a year later on April 28, 2024 at UIC, taking away a grand slam in a play that ranked No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 that evening. He led Valpo in batting average at .301 while making 50 starts this season. He hit nine home runs during his senior season while reaching base at a .402 clip and slugging .538. He posted a .322 batting average in league play while collecting 14 extra-base hits including six home runs to compile a .611 MVC-only slugging percentage. Ryan drilled two home runs on March 16 at nationally-ranked Campbell. He is starting a position with Generac this summer after wrapping up his career as a three-year starter for the Beacons.

Jablonski, who owns a 3.68 GPA in business analytics, was a five-year member of the program who made 54 appearances on the mound and 53 out of the bullpen. He made his first collegiate start on April 14 of this season vs. Belmont. He won three games this season including a season-long 3 2/3 innings of relief on May 4 vs. Evansville. Jablonski will start a job with Patrick Industries in their leadership development program in July.

To receive CSC Academic All-District consideration, student-athletes must own at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, meet minimum participation requirements and be at least a sophomore in academic standing.