WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball's Couper Cornblum and Thomas Green made the grade while being regulars in the lineup, earning Academic All-District recognition for their dual excellence as student-athletes.
Cornblum graduated last month with a bachelor's degree in sociology, compiling a 3.71 grade-point average at Purdue. The ironman started all 110 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the only Boilermaker to do so.
Green has compiled a 3.59 GPA at Purdue and is line to officially earn his bachelor's degree in American studies in August. It will be his second bachelor's after the grad transfer had a 3.81 GPA while earning a degree in integrative studies at Oakland University. On the field, Green was an opening day starter at shortstop and started 17 of the Boilers' 26 games vs. Big Ten opponents. He made a team-high 29 starts at second base.
Both Boilermakers will also be named Academic All-Big Ten (3.0+ GPA) later this month. Cornblum should be among the program's Big Ten Distinguished Scholars (3.7+ GPA) as well. Together they helped Purdue Baseball post a 3.06 team GPA for the spring semester and 3.13 mark for the 2023-24 school year. Green was part of the victorious Team Madia (3.21 GPA) as part of the program's Academic Bowl challenge for the spring semester.
College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District and Academic All-America program underwent an overhaul in the summer of 2022. The minimum GPA requirement was raised from 3.3 to 3.5 – with freshmen remaining ineligible. Position players are required to be regular starters or have played in 90% of a team's games. There are similar proportional requirements in place for pitchers.
Instead of a voting process to select Academic All-District honorees for the eight districts (regions of the country) at the NCAA Division I level, each university now designates a selected number of eligible student-athletes to be recognized as Academic All-District. That number of honorees for baseball has been set at five per team. Academic All-America honorees are selected from the Academic All-District designees.
The Academic All-District and Academic All-America programs continue to strive to spotlight student-athletes that achieve dual success in athletic and academic accomplishments. College Sports Communicators (CSC) is also the current name for the organization formerly known CoSIDA – College Sports Information Directors of America.
Jackson Smeltz was Purdue's last Academic All-District and Academic All-America honoree as an All-Big Ten starting pitcher in 2022.
As team leader and captain, Cornblum started all 57 games in center field and batted first or second in the lineup 34 of the 57 games. He posted an 11-game hit streak in May and finished his college career with 218 hits and 65 stolen bases during his time at Wichita State (2022-22) and Purdue (2023-24).
Green batted .321 while recording 13 of his 25 RBI in Big Ten play. Twelve of his RBI came in the month of May as the reliable middle infielder finished strong during his final collegiate season. Defensively, he had a .969 fielding percentage in 159 defensive chances as Purdue's only infielder to make multiple starts at multiple infield positions. He contributed to 16 of the 56 double plays turned by the Boilers.
Cornblum graduated last month with a bachelor's degree in sociology, compiling a 3.71 grade-point average at Purdue. The ironman started all 110 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the only Boilermaker to do so.
Green has compiled a 3.59 GPA at Purdue and is line to officially earn his bachelor's degree in American studies in August. It will be his second bachelor's after the grad transfer had a 3.81 GPA while earning a degree in integrative studies at Oakland University. On the field, Green was an opening day starter at shortstop and started 17 of the Boilers' 26 games vs. Big Ten opponents. He made a team-high 29 starts at second base.
Both Boilermakers will also be named Academic All-Big Ten (3.0+ GPA) later this month. Cornblum should be among the program's Big Ten Distinguished Scholars (3.7+ GPA) as well. Together they helped Purdue Baseball post a 3.06 team GPA for the spring semester and 3.13 mark for the 2023-24 school year. Green was part of the victorious Team Madia (3.21 GPA) as part of the program's Academic Bowl challenge for the spring semester.
College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District and Academic All-America program underwent an overhaul in the summer of 2022. The minimum GPA requirement was raised from 3.3 to 3.5 – with freshmen remaining ineligible. Position players are required to be regular starters or have played in 90% of a team's games. There are similar proportional requirements in place for pitchers.
Instead of a voting process to select Academic All-District honorees for the eight districts (regions of the country) at the NCAA Division I level, each university now designates a selected number of eligible student-athletes to be recognized as Academic All-District. That number of honorees for baseball has been set at five per team. Academic All-America honorees are selected from the Academic All-District designees.
The Academic All-District and Academic All-America programs continue to strive to spotlight student-athletes that achieve dual success in athletic and academic accomplishments. College Sports Communicators (CSC) is also the current name for the organization formerly known CoSIDA – College Sports Information Directors of America.
Jackson Smeltz was Purdue's last Academic All-District and Academic All-America honoree as an All-Big Ten starting pitcher in 2022.
As team leader and captain, Cornblum started all 57 games in center field and batted first or second in the lineup 34 of the 57 games. He posted an 11-game hit streak in May and finished his college career with 218 hits and 65 stolen bases during his time at Wichita State (2022-22) and Purdue (2023-24).
Green batted .321 while recording 13 of his 25 RBI in Big Ten play. Twelve of his RBI came in the month of May as the reliable middle infielder finished strong during his final collegiate season. Defensively, he had a .969 fielding percentage in 159 defensive chances as Purdue's only infielder to make multiple starts at multiple infield positions. He contributed to 16 of the 56 double plays turned by the Boilers.