WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior baseball player Tristan Hobbes (Utica, N.Y.) and sophomore softball player Kim Church (Farmington, Conn.) have been recognized for their academic and athletic successes this year by earning spots on the ESPN The Magazine/College Division District I Academic All-District Team, as voted upon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Hobbes repeated as a first-team selection to the District I CoSIDA baseball team, while Church was a second-team choice to the softball team in her first year of eligibility. Student-athletes from Division II and III institutions located in New England and New York are eligible for consideration to the College Division team.

Hobbes became the baseball program’s first all-academic choice ever a year ago while Church becomes the first such selection from the softball program. Hobbes and Church were the only selections from among the eight Little East Conference institutions.

A total of 23 student-athletes were named to the All-District baseball team: 12 on the first team and 11 on the second team. Hobbes was among only three first-team picks from a New England Division III institution and one of only five first-team choices from a New England Division II or III institution. A total of 35 student-athletes were named to the All-District softball team: 11 to the first team, 17 to the second team and seven to the third team. A total of 18 selections came from New England schools.

As a Communication major, Hobbes carried a 3.77 grade-point average through the fall semester. Sunday, he received an Eastern/E-Club Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award in his first season of eligibility and will be named to the inaugural Little East Conference baseball academic honor roll next month. In addition to his academic accomplishments, Hobbes serves as the president of Eastern’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has been active as a play-by-play and color commentator for a variety of the department’s internet broadcasts the last two seasons. A first baseman, the left-handed hitting Hobbes has appeared in 40 of the team’s 43 games and is batting a career-high .350 with two home runs and 22 RBI. In the field, he leads the team in putouts (230) and chances (242) and has a .979 fielding percentage.

The baseball team (29-13-1) opens play in its 29th NCAA tournament Wednesday with a 10 a.m. start against Montclair State University in the Division III New York Regional at Auburn, N.Y.

Also a two-year regular in goal in the soccer program, Church is a Health and Physical Education major with an overall grade-point average of 3.73. She was named to the conference soccer academic honor roll in the fall and will also land a spot on the inaugural Little East Conference softball academic honor roll when that team is announced next month.

Last week, she was named the Little East Conference’s first-team all-conference shortstop.

This past spring, Church helped the Warriors to their winningest season (28-14) since 1994 and into their first NCAA Division III tournament since 1998. She started all 42 games at shortstop and finished third among regulars with a .392 batting average – 95 percentage points higher than her rookie season. Church batted primarily fifth and leadoff in the order and shared the team lead with 16 multiple-hit games. She led the team in assists (91), runs (45), and stolen bases (8), was third in total bases (81) and tied for third with 26 RBI. Her 14 doubles were two shy of the season record. In eight post-season games, Church batted .414 with 19 total bases, eight runs scored and five RBI.

To be eligible for academic all-district consideration, the student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed one academic year at the institution, must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games as a starter or important reserve, and must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 (on a 4.0 scale standing at your institution.

All first-team selections from the nation’s eight districts are eligible for Academic All-America consideration.