WINGATE, N.C. --- Tusculum College's Taylor Rakes has been named to the 2013 Capital One Division II Academic All-District 3 Baseball First Team, as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). This marks the second straight year he has earned this honor.

Rakes advances to the Academic All-America® ballot, which will be announced later this month. He was selected to last year's Capital One Academic All-America first team a year ago.

Rakes, a 6-1, 160-pound graduate student from Norcross, Ga., is currently enrolled in the Tusculum graduate program, working on his Masters degree in Human Resource Management. He earned his Bachelor's degree last year in Business and Economics, where he posted a 3.87 cumulative grade point average. The Norcross High School graduate was named the South Atlantic Conference Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year for a second straight season, while also earning a spot on the All-SAC second team for a consecutive season.

Rakes emerged as the pitching ace of the weekend rotation for the Pioneers this year as he posted a 7-2 record in his 15 appearances, including 13 starts. His 2.82 ERA is the seventh lowest in the South Atlantic Conference, where he has pitched in 89.1 innings, allowing 23 walks and a team-best 84 strikeouts. His 2013 strikeout tally is the third-best in TC history and is currently third in the league and 10th in the nation.

For his career, Rakes tallied a sterling 26-7 record and is second all-time in career victories. His 285 career innings pitched are the most in school history. He is also second in career strikeouts (209), second in starts (45), fourth in complete games (9) and 10th in ERA (3.66).

Rakes is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, President's List and is a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society. He is very active in leadership and community service in the Tusculum College and Greeneville community. He has been active with the Pioneer Student Athlete Advisory Council's fundraising efforts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Cancer Society and the St. Baldrick's "Basebald" program to aid childhood cancer research. He has volunteered as a Greeneville Youth Baseball Mentor, served as a guest speaker in Tusculum Athletic Training and his experiences with his "Tommy John" surgery and, along with his father, provided free lawn care services for stationed armed forces personnel.

Last June, he was named the recipient of the 2012-13 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award, the highest honored earned by a league student-athlete.

District 3 is comprised of colleges and universities representing the South Atlantic Conference, Conference and the Peach Belt Conference.

- CoSIDA -

Capital One Acadmemic All-District 3 First Team
P - Ryan Mileski, USC Aiken
P - Taylor Rakes, Tusculum
C - Chas Goodwin, Newberry
INF - Ty Barkell, USC Aiken
INF - Daniel Oliver, Mount Olive
INF - Andy Vogel, Newberry
INF - Julio Zubilaga, Catawba
OF - David Atwood, Young Harris
OF - Kenny Bellavance, North Georgia
OF - Dalton Gress, Francis Marion
DH - Bill Gertenslager, USC Aiken