Boilermakers Country

Purdue Baseball's Jackson Smeltz Earns Academic All-District Honors

Purdue redshirt sophomore pitcher Jackson Smeltz recorded 22 strikeouts and allowed just 12 hits in 13 games. He also boasts the Boilermaker pitching staff's highest grade-point average.

D.J. Fezler

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following a strong season on the mound for Purdue baseball, redshirt sophomore pitcher Jackson Smeltz earned recognition with Academic All-District honors on Thursday. 

Smeltz posted 22 strikeouts and allowed just 12 hits for the Boilermakers in 13 games this past season. Opposing hitters had a .186 batting average against Smeltz, and he gave up just four extra-base hits in 19 1/3 innings.

He also boasts a 3.62 grade-point average, which is the highest among the team's pitching staff.

The hometown player from Lafayette, Indiana, was one of two pitchers among 11 total players voted to the Academic All-District Team from District Five. The District includes schools from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.

To be eligible for the All-District Ballot, student-athletes are required to maintain a minimum 3.30 GPA and be at least a sophomore academically. Smeltz is the Boilermakers' first Academic All-District selection since Joe Hasse back in 2012.

As a member of the Academic All-District Team, Smeltz advances to a national ballot that will recognize Academic All-Americans.

Smeltz was also recognized as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar on Thursday for earning a GPA higher than 3.7 during the 2020-21 academic year. The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree was also the recipient of the Brady Comeback Scholarship Award by Methodist Sports Medicine in June.

Should the draft-eligible pitcher return to West Lafayette next year, he is expected to be one of Purdue's top relief pitchers. He was the winning pitcher in all three of the Boilermakers' walk-off victories during the season.

Stories Related to Purdue Baseball

  • SMELTZ EARNS BRADY COMEBACK SCHOLARSHIP: Jackson Smeltz is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and recorded 22 strikeouts and 12 hits allowed in 19 1/3 innings over 13 appearances during 2021. He's endured multiple surgeries during his career. CLICK HERE 
  • BOILERMAKERS IN THE CSL ALL-STAR GAME: Eight different Purdue baseball players will play in the College Summer League All-Star Game at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. The league's representatives were broken up into two different teams and will play on July 4. CLICK HERE 
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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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