May 12, 2005

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois senior centerfielder Drew Davidson has been named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Baseball team as voted on by the sports information directors of the district, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Manitoba. Davidson will move on to Academic All-America balloting where he'll try to become Illini baseball's first Academic All-American since Jason Anderson in 2000. That team will be announced on May 31.

Davidson ranks second in the Big Ten in home runs (12) and slugging percentage (.648) and fourth and sixth in the league, respectively, in runs (50) and RBI (44). His three home runs in Sunday's victory over Northwestern moved Davidson up to eighth on the Illini all-time home run list with 37. Davidson (.327) is one of six players in a hot-hitting Illini order batting over .300 and also has 11 doubles and three triples for a .648 slugging percentage.

The graduate of Dowling High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He had a stellar freshman campaign, earning Freshman All-America and Third Team All-Big Ten accolades. Davidson was also named the University of Illinois athletic department's Co-Male Newcomer of the Year in that 2002 season.

Illinois is 31-14-1 overall, 18-6 in the Big Ten. The Illini hold a three-game lead in the conference standings with eight games to play and are ranked 29th in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll.