TOWSON, Md. - First baseman David Towarnicky became the second academic All-American in Appalachian State University baseball history on Tuesday when he earned third-team ESPN The Magazine academic All-America recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

A junior from New Bern, N.C., Towarnicky carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a double-major in banking and finance and risk insurance management with a minor in international business.

On the field, Towarnicky hit .328 with 12 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 35 RBI as Appalachian's everyday clean-up batter this season. He hit .675 (5-for-8) with three RBI in three games at last week's Southern Conference Baseball Championship, en route to all-tournament honors.

The southpaw also sported one of the nation's top gloves at first base this year, committing only three errors in 486 chances in the field.

Towarnicky is the first ASU baseball player to receive academic All-America recognition since second baseman Jamie Harris was a first-team honoree in 1984. He is just the ninth academic All-American in ASU athletics history, but the third in the past four years and the fourth this decade.