Cullowhee, N.C. – Highlighted by the third career selection for senior infielder Zach Ketterman, five Western Carolina baseball student-athletes were today named to the 2024 Academic All-District® Baseball Team as selected and announced by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Ketterman was joined by junior utility infielder Jack Spyke, junior infielder Trent Turner, sophomore outfielder Hayden Friese, and sophomore right-handed pitcher Dusty Revis in earning the regional academic honor.
 
Additionally, both Ketterman and Revis were denoted in the release as advancing to the national ballot for CSC Academic All-America® to be voted on by the CSC membership. First-, second, and third-team Academic All- America® honorees will be announced on July 2, 2024.
   
WCU's five selections this year mark a program best since the award altered its district voting process two years ago. It's also the fifth straight year WCU has landed a player on the academic all-district squad. Ketterman garnered a third academic all-region accolade, joining two-time honoree former left-handed pitcher Tyler Sexton (2006-08) as WCU's only other multiple award recipient. Sexton received recognition in 2007 and 2008.
 
Five Southern Conference schools and a total of 15 baseball student-athletes were represented among the Academic All-District selections including WCU (5), UNCG (4), Mercer (3), Wofford (2), and VMI (1). Ketterman and Revis were joined by UNCG's Mitchell Smith and Wofford's Dixon Black as SoCon representatives on the national Academic All-America® final ballot.
 
The CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team aims to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.
 
Selections to the 2023 Academic All-District® teams were made from nominations submitted by the sports information professionals at each NCAA member institution. Honorees were required to have posted a 3.50 or better GPA, completed at least two semesters at their current school, played in at least half their team's competitions, and be considered a starter or key contributor. Freshmen student-athletes were ineligible.
 
A four-year starter in the Catamount infield, Zach Ketterman capped his career this season by earning second-team All-Southern Conference honors from both the league's head coaches and the voting media. The Biglerville, Pa., product led the Catamounts with a team-best .360 batting average, tied for the team-high with 71 base hits including 30 for extra-bases with 13 doubles, a team-best three triples, and a career-high 14 home runs. He scored 56 runs and drove in 50 on the year.
 
Ketterman boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.86 while majoring in finance with a concentration in general finance and a minor in sport management. At present, he is a two-time Spring Academic All-Southern Conference team selection, a three-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll recipient, and has thrice earned the SoCon Commissioner's Medal.
 
Splitting time between first base and behind the plate, utility infielder Jack Spyke hit a career-best .290 (49-of-169) with 12 extra-base hits including career highs with eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He collected a season-best three hits three times on the year. Spyke scored 31 runs and drove home 22 including a career-high four against Harvard early in the year. Behind the dish, the Lawrenceville, Ga., product threw out seven would-be base stealers while helping turn 28 double-plays collectively with a .987 fielding percentage. Coupled with the final two games of the 2023 season, Spyke opened the year with a 13-game hitting streak including the first 11 games of 2024.
 
Spyke carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.60 while double-majoring in business administration & law and management.
 
Trent Turner had a tremendous impact in his first season playing back in the mountains of western North Carolina. The transfer from Waynesville opened the 2024 season with four-straight multi-hit games – and collected multiple hits in six of his first eight starts – as part of a season-opening eight-game hitting streak. He finished with a .302 batting average (71-of-235), tallying 22 extra-base hits with 14 doubles and eight home runs. He posted a career-high four hits three different times on the year including a 4-for-5 outing against Western Michigan at Fluor Field with a double and a homer while plating a career-best six. Defensively, Turner was part of flipping 38 double-plays to lead the SoCon's top unit.
 
Majoring in finance, Turner has a cumulative GPA of 3.73.
 
Earning his way into the starting lineup, Hayden Friese played in 47 games with 41 starts between right field (38) and twice as the designated hitter. He finished with a career-best .290 batting average (40-for-138) with nine extra-base hits – seven doubles and two home runs. Additionally, the Eden, N.C., product drew 34 walks and six HBPs to bolster a .442 on-base percentage. Friese hit his first collegiate career home run in 2024 at home against ETSU, adding a second long fly at Prasco Park against Akron in early April.
 
Friese has a cumulative grade point average of 3.67 while majoring in business administration & law. He was named to the 2022-23 SoCon Academic Honor Roll, with the additional postseason academic awards for 2023-24 yet to be announced.
 
Dusty Revis led the Catamount pitching staff with seven victories in 2024, posting a 4.41 collective ERA over 19 total appearances that included a pair of starts with a three-inning save in the home sweep of Mercer. The redshirt sophomore from Marion, N.C., struck out 43 over 51.0 innings, recording four or more punchouts six times. His longest outing of the year came in a six-inning appearance against Georgia State where he fanned a career-high six. Opponents batted just .268 against Revis on the season.
 
Revis carries a cumulative GPA of 3.77 while majoring in management.
 
After today's announcement of the baseball awards, Western Carolina has put a combined 26 student-athletes on the CSC Academic All-District teams this season including six from women's soccer, five from football, softball, and baseball, four from volleyball, and one from women's basketball.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
 
Western Carolina Baseball, Academic All-District Selections:
2024: Hayden Friese, Outfield; Zach Ketterman, Infield; Dusty Revis, Pitcher; Jack Spyke, Utility; Trent Turner, Infield
2023: Zach Ketterman, Infield; Adam Quincy, Pitcher; Nick Torres, Pitcher
2022: Zach Ketterman, Infield
2021: Daniel Walsh, Infield
2016: Kramer Ferrell, Outfield
2014: Jacob Hoyle, Infield
2010: Tyler Kirkpatrick, Infield
2008: Tyler Sexton, Pitcher
2007: Tyler Sexton, Pitcher
2002: Ryan Schade, Infield
 
Western Carolina Baseball, Academic All-America Selections:
2002: Ryan Schade, 1st team
1993: Rodney Hennon, 1st team
1992: Jack Kimel, 2nd team
1992: Rodney Hennon, 1st team
1986: David Hyatt, 3rd team
1983: Greg Johnson, 1st team
1983: David Hill, 1st team