COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced the RMAC Baseball All-Academic Team on Thursday with the No. 24 ranked UCCS Baseball team earning 13 all-academic honors. The Mountain Lions received the most RMAC All-Academic First Team honors out of any other school as Jake Anderson, Matt Berg, Jonathan Cowles, and Matt McDermott were all voted to first team.

Metropolitan State University of Denver's Logan Soole was voted this year's RMAC Academic Player of the Year.

The All Academic First-Team members, were voted on by the conference's sports information directors. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must carry a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and must have been an active student at the institution for at least two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters. All student-athletes who meet those requirements, but were not voted First Team, automatically qualify for Honor Roll.

After recently receiving NCBWA All-America First Team honors, redshirt senior Jake Anderson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) earns his first career RMAC All-Academic First Team selection. As a Criminal Justice major, Anderson makes his way onto first team with a 3.540 GPA. The All-American first baseman has started in all 42 games for the Mountain Lions and has impressively reached base safely in every single game. An offensive powerhouse, Anderson has delivered a team high 57 RBI and .425 batting average. UCCS' cleanup hitter has recorded 65 hits and 35 extra base hits this season with the region's fifth most doubles in the (17) and sixth most home runs (15). Boasting a stellar 1.374 OPS off the region's fourth best on base percentage (.505) and third best slugging percentage (.869), Anderson has recorded 19 multi-hit games and 15 games with two or more RBI. Already a two-time All-South Central Region First Team selection this season, Anderson's 2021 honors also include All-RMAC First Team and RMAC Player of the Week (Apr. 20).

Redshirt junior Matt Berg (Loveland, Colo.) receives his second RMAC All-Academic First Team selection after turning in a 3.853 GPA as a Finance major. In 32 games played and started in the outfield, Berg has hit his way to a .292 batting average with 35 hits and 25 RBI. Berg has doubled 12 times this season where he also adds two triples and two home runs while scoring 25 runs. With a hit in 24 of his 32 games, the starting outfielder has registered eight games with two or more RBI.

With a perfect 4.00 GPA as an MBA graduate student, Jonathan Cowles (Greeley, Colo.) is selected the RMAC All-Academic First Team for the first time in his career. In nine starts, Cowles has thrown to a 2-1 record while holding a 7.62 ERA. Cowles has thrown 41.1 innings where he has recorded 34 strikeouts and one nine-inning complete game. His complete game came in clutch game for the Mountain Lions as Cowles went the distance to defeat No. 1 Colorado Mesa in the RMAC Tournament to advance to the championship game. Cowles held the top team in the nation to a season low one runs as he recorded five strikeouts while allowing five hits in the 4-1 win. Both of Cowles' wins this season have come against No. 1 CMU.

A 2021 NCBWA All-America Honorable Mention selection, graduate student Matt McDermott (Aurora, Colo.) is an RMAC Gold Glove shortstop who is hitting .381 with a team high 67 hits which also ranks sixth most in the region. The two-time All-American has batted in a variety of spots in the lineup and has continued to produce by driving in a career high 51 RBI while scoring the sixth most runs in the region with 176. McDermott has laced 26 extra base hits with 17 doubles as he hits his way to a .619 slugging percentage and 18 multi-hit games including two games where he notched five hits. McDermott currently holds a team leading 15-game hitting streak as the NCBWA Regional Hitter of the Week (May 12) has registered 11 games with two or more RBI. At shortstop, the 2021 NCBWA and D2CCA All-Region First Teamer has fielded his way to a .970 fielding percentage and has helped record the most double plays per game in the nation with 1.02.

On the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll, UCCS lands nine honors including Alex Bates, Michael Bennin, Zac Dammel, Joseph Harris, Nate Heflebower, Matt Johnson, Henry Ryan, JJ Rytz, and Jon Sotto.

Redshirt junior Alex Bates (Ruidoso, N.M.) played in three games in 2021 where he hit .200 and notched an RBI against New Mexico Highlands University on Mar. 11. Bates scored two runs in the ballgame as he drove in the RBI off his third career double. The Mountain Lions went 2-1 in games that Bates played in this season as the four-year student-athlete notches his third RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection. Bates posted a 3.598 GPA as a Sport Management major.

Starting catcher for the Mountain Lions, Michael Bennin (Murrieta, Calif.) receives his second career RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection by boasting a 3.857 GPA as a Sport Management major. Bennin has swung a hot bat down the stretch for the Mountain Lions as the redshirt sophomore has recorded 11 hits and 13 RBI in the last 11 games including four home runs and two doubles. On the season, Bennin is hitting .296 with 21 hits and 18 RBI as almost half of the hits have been extra bases with five doubles and five home runs. Behind the plate, Bennin has been solid with a perfect fielding percentage while throwing out four of eight baserunners.

A native of Lone Tree, Colo., Zac Dammel makes his way onto the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll by registering a 3.822 GPA as a Finance major. The redshirt freshman has played in eight games this season with one start. Dammel has reached base safely in half of those games as he also notched an RBI against Regis University on May 4 by going 1-for-2 in the ballgame.

A Business major from Gillette, Wyo., Joseph Harris makes it onto the all-academic honor roll as a relief pitcher with a 3.492 GPA. Harris has been effective all season in his 10 appearances where he's thrown his way to a 1-0 record. In 14.2 innings pitched, Harris has fanned 12 batters and held opponents to a .250 batting average while posting a 4.91 ERA. On May 20, Harris threw a season high three innings against Colorado State University Pueblo in the RMAC Tournament where he contained the ThunderWolves to no runs and one hit.

Redshirt freshman Nate Heflebower earns his first honor roll selection after turning in a 3.895 GPA as a Communications major. Heflebower has played a key role for UCCS in 2021 as the Castle Pines, Colo. native has played in 19 games and has started at second base in 13 games. In 19 games, Heflebower has fielded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while turning 16 double plays. At the plate, Heflebower has recorded eight RBI off 12 hits and eight walks as the middle infielder currently has 12 runs scored and a .231 batting average. Heflebower had a stellar day in his first start of the season as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI to help the Mountain Lions register the 8-7 win over NMHU on Mar. 27.

Catcher and redshirt freshman Matt Johnson (Dallas, Texas) played in his first games as a Mountain Lion in 2021 where he made two starts behind the plate. In just his second start, Johnson recorded his first multi-hit game and multi-RBI game as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a triple to help route Adams State University 11-4 on Apr. 24. Johnson makes his first appearance on the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll team as an Economics major with a 3.691 GPA.

From Ward, Colo., utility player Henry Ryan bags his third honor roll selection with a nearly perfect GPA of 3.960 as a Business major. The redshirt sophomore has played in 11 games and has made three starts for UCCS this season. With a .238 batting average, two of Ryan's five hits this season have been home runs as he adds a double, five runs scored, and five RBI in 2021. On Apr. 3, Ryan had a career game in the black and gold where he recorded a career three RBI after hitting a three-run home run against then No. 17 MSU Denver.

Holding an impressive 2.41 ERA and making his second appearance on the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll is redshirt sophomore JJ Rytz. Rytz has notched a 2-1 record on the year in nine appearances and one start where he has thrown 18.2 innings. Rytz's one start came against the number one team in the nation Colorado Mesa on May 22 where the Encinitas, Calif. native held the Mavs to just one run in seven complete innings as he recorded two strikeouts. Rytz earns conference honor roll after registering a 3.613 GPA as a Finance major.

Pitcher Jon Sotto (San Diego, Calif.) receives RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll as a Management major with a 3.400 GPA. In 2021, Sotto has thrown 32 full innings in nine appearances and seven starts. The California native has heaved three games with four strikeouts as Sotto has worked to a 2-2 record and 6.75 ERA. Sotto earned his first career save against MSU Billings on Mar. 5 and also notched his second win of the season after throwing five innings of shutout baseball against Colorado Christian University on Apr. 19 as he struck out two in the process.

No. 24 UCCS' season continues today as the Mountain Lions prepare to face No. 5 West Texas A&M University at 1 p.m. in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament for a win or go home game in San Angelo, Texas.