Morrill named to Academic All-District baseball team

KEENE, N.H.  5/6/12 – Keene State College’s Kyle Morrill has the distinction of being the first member of the Owl baseball team to earn district Academic All-American honors. 

The senior outfielder from Auburn N.H. recently received the honor which is voted on by the college sports information directors in the New England Region. 

“There’s the old adage that you’re a student before you’re an athlete and without taking care of stuff in the classroom I wouldn’t have the opportunity to play baseball,” said Morrill.  “My parents (Ken and Sue) instilled in me that academics always comes first. I came here to get an education first and baseball was an extra thing I could do.  I was fortunate enough to get chance to play early on in my career and I guess it’s paid off over these four years.” 

“Its’ been a pleasure to coach Kyle for the past four years,” said KSC Coach Ken Howe.  He comes to practice and works hard just like he does in the classroom.”

An education history major with a 3.4cumultive GPA, Morrill has also put up impressive numbers at the plate this season.  He currently leads the Little East in batting with a .457 average and is second in the conference in hits (63) and runs (47) as well as fifth in RBIs (43).  His batting average ranks him 12th in Division III.

Morrill has 21 multiple hits games, including four-hit games against Babson, Westfield State and Corry College. He had four RBIs in games against Plymouth State and Curry and scored five runs in a win over Babson.

Morrill says it takes a lot of discipline to be on top of your game in the field and in the classroom.  “You have long weeks we’re you have three or four games a week and you’re up early for class and then you’re either going out on the road or playing at home,” he said. It makes for a long day and you just have to find the time to make sure you get your work done out on the field and be ready for anything either the professors or the other team throws at you.”  

Keene State (29-11) will be the second seed in the LEC baseball tournament that begins Wednesday at Southern Maine.