ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A pair of Navy pitchers were named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators Baseball Academic All-District Team, as seniors
Nolan Jorgenson and
Matthew Shirah received the honor from the organization Tuesday afternoon.
This marks the second-straight season that Shirah has earned Academic All-District while Jorgenson garnered Academic All-District for the first time in his career. The pair of right-handers were both named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team last month, with Jorgenson being named the 2024 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
An All-Patriot League Second Team pick as a reliever this season, Jorgenson compiled a 3.56 ERA over 48 innings while making a team-high 19 appearances. Registering a 3-0 record and two saves, the right-hander has struck out 30 compared to just seven walks and held opponents to a .240 batting average. His 1.65 ERA over 27.1 innings in conference play this season ranked as the second-lowest in the Patriot League, while his 61 career appearances stand sixth in the program history.
In the classroom, Jorgenson posted a 3.96 GPA while majoring in operations research and was commissioned as a naval aviator in May. An academic all-league honoree in 2022 as well, the senior has earned Patriot League Academic Honor Roll spots in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
A year removed from being on the all-league second team, Shirah tallied a 5.53 ERA in 53.2 innings this season while making 12 starts. With his team-leading 60 strikeouts ranking sixth in the league, the righty kept opponents to a league-low .200 batting average against and recorded his first complete game on March 16. Shirah's 8.32 career strikeouts per nine innings stands 12th in program history and his 36 career starts rank 14th.
Commissioned as a nuclear surface warfare officer last month, Shirah racked up a 3.87 GPA while majoring in quantitative economics. The senior previously earned Academic All-Patriot League and CSC Academic All-District honors last season and is a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recipient (2021, 2022, 2023).
Academic All-District honorees advance to the Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced next month. Formerly known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the College Sports Communicators organization has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952.
