AUSTIN, Texas – Northwest sophomore designated hitter Spencer Cayten highlights the 2017 Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

"There is no one more deserving of this honor than Spencer," head coach Mark Carson said. "He has worked so hard and done everything the right way on and off the field. He is a team player all the way and exhibits an incredible desire to succeed on the baseball diamond and in the classroom and that's what makes him such a special young man."

Cayten is a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection and is the lone junior college athlete represented on this year's baseball team. He becomes the first Ranger ever, in any sport, to be named CoSIDA Academic All-America. 

The Purvis native (Slidell High School) is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, has been named to both the President's (2x) and Dean's List during his career and will be named an MACJC and NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete award winner next month. He also garnered Capital One Academic All-District 1 honors earlier this month, one of 25 all-time selections for the school.

Cayten carried a 3.89 GPA in business administration this past school year and finished with a 3.66 cumulative GPA in his time at Northwest.

On the diamond, Cayten wrapped up his Ranger career on a high note, finishing second on the team with a .339 batting average, eight doubles, three triples, four home runs and 28 RBIs in 30 starts in 2017.

CoSIDA's Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team includes student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions. The 12-member CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball first team has an average GPA of 3.81 and is represented by 11 seniors and one sophomore.