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Jon Alia Named the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year
5/26/2009 9:08:49 AM
Towson, MD -- An NCAA Division-II university, Cal State Dominguez Hills proudly emphasizes a balance between academic and athletic excellence. Jon Alia of the Toros baseball team is the strongest testament to this balance this past year after being named the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year, as announced by ESPN the Magazine, adding to his litany of awards for his on-the-field performance for being one of the top baseball players in the nation.
For the senior first baseman, baseball was always second to finishing his education and being a successful student, much like his father and brother, both of whom have degrees in chemical engineering.
"I always wanted to play baseball as long as I could but academic success was always high up on my priority list", Alia explains. "Both my dad and brother graduated with very high honors so I grew up with a very firm academic base, and always knew that academics were just as important as baseball."
Alia now has something in common with only one other baseball player in the entire nation in Michael Leake of Arizona State, with both being named Academic All-Americans of the Year in their respective College and University Divisions.
Head baseball coach Murphy Su'a could not be more proud of Alia, "The accolades Alia has received this year is indicative of his commitment, work ethic and passion," Su'a says.
"Most people would be thrilled of having the type of year Alia has had either athletically or academically, however, he went out and took care of business both on the field and in the classroom."
Alia, who flipped his tassel this past Friday, May 22, at the Home Depot Center upon receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, was a standout in the classroom since enrolling at CSUDH in fall 2007.
Four three consecutive semesters, Alia was named to the CSUDH Honor Roll, capping the achievement with a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2008. Alia also was named to the All-CCAA Academic team for his performance during the 2007-08 year, an award he is most likely to repeat this summer.
The true definition of an NCAA Division-II student-athlete who places an emphasis on being a student first, Alia was arguably the most influential player on the field this year, garnering a list of awards unparalled in Toros baseball history.
In a powerhouse year from the plate, Alia etched himself in the baseball record book 10 times, including highlights for the most hits in a single-season (98) and most home runs in a single-season (20).
"With how successful baseball was this year, I'm going to see what happens in the future", says Alia when pondering baseball life after college. "But now I have a very good fallback plan and if baseball doesn't work out I will go to grad school and eventually get my doctorate in physical therapy."
"Alia is a tremendous student of the game of baseball, but more important a tremendous student of the game of life", closes a very proud coach Su'a. "I cannot be more proud of this fine young man and grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed his remarkable career at CSUDH."
With voting still underway on certain committees, below is a list of Alia's awards to date in the 2009 year:
- CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year
- 1st-Team NCAA/Daktronics All-American
- NCAA/Daktronics West Region Most Valuable Player
- ABCA/Rawlings West Region Most Valuable Player
- NCBWA West Region Most Valuable Player
- CCAA Most Valuable Player
- 1st-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District
- 1st-Team NCAA/Daktronics All-West Region
- 1st-Team ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region
- 1st-Team NCBWA All-West Region
- 1st-Team All-CCAA
- CCAA Player of the Week (2x)
- CSUDH Dr. Hal Charnofsky Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- Holds 7 CSUDH single-season records:
(Hits, Home Runs, Average, RBI, Doubles, Total Bases, Slugging)
- Holds 2 CSUDH career records
(Average, Slugging)
- Holds 1 CSUDH single-game record
(Doubles)
While numerous Toros have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Teams over the years, the most recent being women's basketball's Barbara Houston this year, this marks the first time in CSUDH's athletic history that a Toro was named the Academic All-American of the Year.
To become eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must obtain a 3.30 GPA in both undergraduate and graduate coursework and perform exemplary work on the diamond. The CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American award is sponsored by ESPN the Magazine and is voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
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