WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's Jackson Smeltz graduated last month as an All-Big Ten performer on the mound with an elite grade-point average, garnering Academic All-America accolades for his dual excellence as a student-athlete.
Smeltz was a third-team selection and one of six pitchers recognized altogether. He graduated in four years with a 3.70 GPA in agribusiness.
Smeltz is Purdue baseball's 11th Academic All-America honoree and first since David Blomberg in 2001. Last month, he joined Rod Metzler (1995-97) as the only multi-year Academic All-District honorees in program history.
Smeltz has joined softball's Rachel Becker as Boilermakers to be recognized as Academic All-America honorees so far during the 2021-22 school year. They could be joined by Ben Bramley (diving), Max Lyon (wrestling) and Joe Weiler (golf) from the at-large sports ballot or Kelly Cook Jr. and Curt Eckstein from the track & field/cross country ballot.
PURDUE BASEBALL'S ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
• 1972 – Jamie Pratt, Outfield
• 1975 – Gary Petric, Shortstop
• 1977 – Gary Petric, Shortstop
• 1977 – Jeff Stensland, Third Base
• 1982 – Todd Cooney, Catcher
• 1982 – Rick Thompson, Shortstop
• 1984 – Al Smith, Designated Hitter
• 1990 – Craig Robertshaw, Outfielder
• 1990 – Phil Simpson, Pitcher
• 1991 – Dave Barrett, Designated Hitter
• 1991 – Craig Robertshaw, Outfielder
• 2001 – David Blomberg, Infielder
• 2022 – Jackson Smeltz, Pitcher
Smeltz was recognized as a third-team All-Big Ten starting pitcher after compiling a 2.83 ERA and .198 batting average against with 79 strikeouts vs. 40 hits allowed in 57 1/3 innings this season. His mark of 12.40 strikeouts per nine innings eclipsed a program record (minimum 30 innings) that had stood since 1965.
Among the program's Academic All-America honorees, Craig Robertshaw, Dave Barrett and Blomberg were also All-Big Ten selections during their careers. Smeltz has joined Phil Simpson as Purdue pitchers to be Academic All-America.
Smeltz finished strong both on the field and the classroom. He earned a 4.0 GPA during his final semester. As the ace of the pitching staff, he helped the Boilermakers race out to a 15-0 start as the last undefeated in the country this spring. He won each of his first four starts during the season-opening 15-game win streak, the longest single-season run in team history. After he beat Indiana and Penn State in April, the lefty became Purdue's first starting pitcher to be 6-0 since the 2012 Big Ten championship season.
Smeltz struck out eight and did not issue a walk in an April 22 start vs. Belmont but an injury kept him off the mound the remainder of the season. He overcame Tommy John Surgery in high school and a hip surgery after the abbreviated 2020 campaign. He'll be ready to return to the mound after being selected in the MLB Draft next month.
With Smeltz leading the way, Purdue set team records for strikeouts (479) and Ks per nine innings (9.57) this spring. April 9 vs. rival Indiana, he put together the greatest performance by a pitcher in Alexander Field history. With 13 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball, he accounted for the most strikeouts ever by a Purdue lefthander and posted the top game score (90) in the 11-season history of the ballpark. It was also the best game score by a Boilermaker ever with 12 or more strikeouts.
Smeltz joined Stanford's Alex Williams, Campbell's Thomas Harrington, Notre Dame's John Michael Bertrand, Louisiana Tech's Jonathan Fincher and Morehead State's John Baake as Division I pitchers selected to the Academic All-America teams this year.
Smeltz was a third-team selection and one of six pitchers recognized altogether. He graduated in four years with a 3.70 GPA in agribusiness.
Smeltz is Purdue baseball's 11th Academic All-America honoree and first since David Blomberg in 2001. Last month, he joined Rod Metzler (1995-97) as the only multi-year Academic All-District honorees in program history.
Smeltz has joined softball's Rachel Becker as Boilermakers to be recognized as Academic All-America honorees so far during the 2021-22 school year. They could be joined by Ben Bramley (diving), Max Lyon (wrestling) and Joe Weiler (golf) from the at-large sports ballot or Kelly Cook Jr. and Curt Eckstein from the track & field/cross country ballot.
PURDUE BASEBALL'S ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
• 1972 – Jamie Pratt, Outfield
• 1975 – Gary Petric, Shortstop
• 1977 – Gary Petric, Shortstop
• 1977 – Jeff Stensland, Third Base
• 1982 – Todd Cooney, Catcher
• 1982 – Rick Thompson, Shortstop
• 1984 – Al Smith, Designated Hitter
• 1990 – Craig Robertshaw, Outfielder
• 1990 – Phil Simpson, Pitcher
• 1991 – Dave Barrett, Designated Hitter
• 1991 – Craig Robertshaw, Outfielder
• 2001 – David Blomberg, Infielder
• 2022 – Jackson Smeltz, Pitcher
Smeltz was recognized as a third-team All-Big Ten starting pitcher after compiling a 2.83 ERA and .198 batting average against with 79 strikeouts vs. 40 hits allowed in 57 1/3 innings this season. His mark of 12.40 strikeouts per nine innings eclipsed a program record (minimum 30 innings) that had stood since 1965.
Among the program's Academic All-America honorees, Craig Robertshaw, Dave Barrett and Blomberg were also All-Big Ten selections during their careers. Smeltz has joined Phil Simpson as Purdue pitchers to be Academic All-America.
Smeltz finished strong both on the field and the classroom. He earned a 4.0 GPA during his final semester. As the ace of the pitching staff, he helped the Boilermakers race out to a 15-0 start as the last undefeated in the country this spring. He won each of his first four starts during the season-opening 15-game win streak, the longest single-season run in team history. After he beat Indiana and Penn State in April, the lefty became Purdue's first starting pitcher to be 6-0 since the 2012 Big Ten championship season.
Smeltz struck out eight and did not issue a walk in an April 22 start vs. Belmont but an injury kept him off the mound the remainder of the season. He overcame Tommy John Surgery in high school and a hip surgery after the abbreviated 2020 campaign. He'll be ready to return to the mound after being selected in the MLB Draft next month.
With Smeltz leading the way, Purdue set team records for strikeouts (479) and Ks per nine innings (9.57) this spring. April 9 vs. rival Indiana, he put together the greatest performance by a pitcher in Alexander Field history. With 13 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball, he accounted for the most strikeouts ever by a Purdue lefthander and posted the top game score (90) in the 11-season history of the ballpark. It was also the best game score by a Boilermaker ever with 12 or more strikeouts.
Smeltz joined Stanford's Alex Williams, Campbell's Thomas Harrington, Notre Dame's John Michael Bertrand, Louisiana Tech's Jonathan Fincher and Morehead State's John Baake as Division I pitchers selected to the Academic All-America teams this year.