Youngstown State's Caipen catches Second-Team Academic All-America honors

May 31, 2006

Youngstown, Ohio - Youngstown State senior catcher Brandon Caipen has been named Second-Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America, the organization announced Tuesday.

Caipen is the first baseball player to earn the national recognition, and he joins senior volleyball player Abby Ettenhofer to form the first duo in school history to earn Academic All-America honors in the same season.

"We are very pleased for Brandon that his accomplishments in the classroom have been recognized, we are really proud to say that he is a graduate of our program," head coach Mike Florak said. "Brandon and his family are great people, and he's very deserving of this honor. We look forward to following all of his accomplishments on and off the field in the future."

Caipen, a native of Tallmadge, Ohio, carries a cumulative grade-point average of 3.71 in integrated social studies education. He earned First-Team All-District IV honors earlier this season and has been named to the Academic All-Horizon League twice. Caipen was also the only Horizon League player to be named Academic All-America and one of only two players in Ohio.

A two-time First-Team All-Horizon League selection as a utility player, Caipen finished out his collegiate career by posting career-best numbers in hits, batting average, home runs, RBIs and runs scored. His 76 hits in 2006 rank as the fourth-highest season total in school history, he also ranks in the top five in YSU history in career hits, runs scored, RBIs, at bats, games played, doubles, triples and total bases.

CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
(University Division)

FIRST TEAM
P -- Edward Degerman, Rice (Sr., 3.37 GPA, Economics)
P -- Ryan Bird, Saint Louis (Jr., 3.91, Finance)
C -- Zach Dillon, Baylor (Grad., 3.86, Sport Management)
IF -- Mike Priest, Campbell (Sr., 3.90, Biology/Pre-Medicine)
IF -- Ryan Mitchell, Lipscomb (Sr., 4.00, Biology)
IF -- Mike Ambrose, UNC Charlotte (Sr., 3.92, Psychology)
IF -- Brandon Buckman, Nebraska (Sr., 3.48, Civil Engineering)
IF -- Marc Maddox, Southern Mississippi (Sr., 3.79, Business Administration)
OF -- Phillip Coker, College of Charleston (Sr., 3.93, Bio-chemistry)
OF -- Jacob Stover, Arkansas-Little Rock (Sr., 4.00, Health Sciences)
OF -- Emeel Salem, Alabama (Jr., 3.90, Marketing and Spanish)
UT -- Chris Carlson, New Mexico (Jr., 3.69, General Management)

SECOND TEAM
P -- Patrick Currin, UNC Greensboro (Sr., 3.72, Exercise & Sports Science)
P -- Clint Crosier, Indiana (Sr., 3.99, Sport Marketing & Management)
C -- Brandon Caipen, Youngstown State (Sr., 3.71, Integrated Social Studies)
IF -- Josiah Glafenhein, East Tennessee State (Sr., 3.89, Finance)
IF -- Ryan Rohlinger, Oklahoma (Sr., 3.63, Economics)
IF -- Steve Maiolo, Duquesne (Sr., 3.94, Secondary Education/Citizenship)
IF -- Andy Hunter, Minnesota (Gr., 3.70, Finance and Insurance)
OF -- Drew Stubbs, Texas (Jr., 3.62, Management)
OF -- Collin Cowgill, Kentucky (So., 3.92, Communications)
OF -- Aaron Ivey, Oklahoma (Jr., 4.00, Finance)
UT -- Matt McGraw, Maine (Jr., 3.64, Business)

THIRD TEAM
P -- Darren O'Day, Florida (Sr., 3.54, Animal Biology)
P -- Matt Dobbins, Jacksonville (So., 3.74, Sociology)
C -- Mike Armstrong, Mercer (So., 3.86, Biomedical Engineering)
IF -- Matt Capece, Bucknell (Sr., 3.68, Civil and Environmental Engineering)
IF -- Zach Daeges, Creighton (Sr., 3.34, Accounting)
IF -- Greg Lopez, Notre Dame (Sr., 3.39, Pre-Professional Studies)
OF -- Jackson Brennan, Gonzaga (Gr., 3.64, Business Administration)
OF -- Ryan Rizzo, Quinnipiac (Jr., 3.86, Economics)
OF -- Steven Blackwood, Georgia Tech (Sr., 3.51, Biology)
UT -- Jack Nelson, Cincinnati (Sr., 3.61, Finance)