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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">July 29, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BSB’s Thomas Named CoSIDA Academic All-American<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Fifth-year senior catcher’s first-team recognition is Baylor’s first since 2011<br>
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">AUSTIN, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"> Baylor baseball
catcher Andy Thomas was named to the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America First Team, as announced Thursday by the organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Thomas, a fifth-year senior, wrapped up his undergrad degree in marketing with a 3.44 GPA and boasts a 4.00 in grad school for business administration.
Thomas finished the 2021 campaign hitting a career-best .337 to go along with a career-high 11 home runs and 60 RBIs while starting all 51 games behind the plate for the Bears. His 60 RBIs were the most by any Baylor player in a single season since 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Following his efforts in 2021, Thomas was named a third-team All-American by both the ABCA/Rawlings and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper publications.
Additionally, he was named a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award and also earned second-team All-American honors by the Senior CLASS Award.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">The Murrieta, Calif., native ended his BU career as a .327 hitter with 124 runs scored, 216 hits, 19 home runs and 141 RBIs in 184 games played.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Thomas is the second Bear to be recognized by CoSIDA as an Academic All-American for the 2020-21 season, joining football’s Jalen Pitre, a second-team
honoree. Thomas is the 17<sup>th</sup> baseball player in program history to earn the distinction, and the first selected to the first-team since 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Student-athletes are recognized by CoSIDA members for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom. To be considered,
one must accumulate a cumulative GPA between 3.30-4.00 with at least a sophomore athletic standing, while being a starter or key reserve for their respective team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow their official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.<br>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3073 | C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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