via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
AUSTIN, Texas | University of Virginia women’s swimmer Gretchen Walsh, Slippery Rock University football quarterback Brayden Long, Middlebury College women’s lacrosse attacker Hope Shue, and Oregon Tech baseball catcher Tyler Horner have been named the 2024-25 Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA, respectively, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
Walsh, Long, Shue and Horner each become their school’s first student-athletes to receive the honor at their respective institutions. Walsh joins Team USA swimming teammate Katie Ledecky (Stanford, Women’s At-Large/Swimming, 2018) as an Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year recipient. Shue is the first women’s lacrosse player to win an Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award and the second lacrosse player overall. Horner is the first NAIA baseball player to win an Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year honor and the fourth overall becoming the first since 2014-15.
Previous award winners at the Division I level include Peyton Manning, Justin Herbert, Caitlin Clark and Katie Ledecky.
Horner, from Twin Falls, Idaho, is a senior mechanical engineering major with a 4.00 cumulative GPA. He earned his second consecutive NAIA Baseball Academic All-America® TMOY accolade. Horner was named an ABCA NAIA All-American and made history as being the second-ever Oregon Tech player to earn the distinction twice. He led OIT to their first-ever NAIA tournament appearance. He earned the Cascade Conference Player of the Year honor and was named OIT’s all-sports Player of the Year and the school’s male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The four-year starter ended his OIT career as the all-time leader in hits (303), doubles (69), home runs (40), RBI (208), and walks (122), establishing new Cascade Conference records for hits, doubles, and RBI in a career. This season, Horner hit .399 with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, and 66 RBI. Horner is playing in the collegiate baseball Northwoods League with the Kenosha Kingfish this summer. He will continue his playing career with Seattle University, using his grad transfer extra year of eligibility rule to helps his potential MLB draft stock for next year. Horner is the first-ever Cascade Conference recipient of the award.
Said Oregon Tech Catcher Tyler Horner:
“When I got to OIT, one of the first things I had to learn was time management – especially being in the engineering field. It’s great to see all the hard work in the classroom and on the diamond pay off. The culture of our program changed throughout my time at Tech – a completely different vibe from when I was a freshman to a senior. When I was a sophomore, our culture was beginning to build and we knew we could win, and it has grown from there. Coach (Jacob) Garsez and now Coach (Ricky) Walker have set the standard for this program. I am extremely humbled to earn this award. When I saw the list of previous winners, it was eye opening. I am looking forward to heading to Seattle University this fall and pursue a business degree, which is something that will always look good on a resume and continue the dream of playing professional baseball.”
Said Oregon Tech Head Baseball Coach Ricky Walker:
“Tyler Horner is a player who will be remembered for years and years to come. He was an integral part of turning our program around – as a leader on and off the field. His ability to be a standout in the classroom in a difficult academic field and post a 4.00 GPA, while breaking nearly every offensive record in our program’s history showcases who he is. The leadership he provided our team was the epitome of what Oregon Tech Baseball is. In this day and age of collegiate sports, where players bounce from team to team, division to division, for us to have Tyler in our program for four years and have him set the standard of Hustlin’ Owls baseball – it was a blessing and an honor. This is a tremendous achievement and award, and I couldn’t be more happy for him.”
NAIA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® TEAM MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS: Shaheed Alam (Men’s Tennis / Keiser), Aubrey Bach (Women’s Swimming / Keiser), Lucy Carpenter (Women’s Tennis / Loyola), Jameson Chesser (Football / Taylor), Lilli Frasure (Women’s Basketball / Indiana Wesleyan), Juan Gonzalez (Men’s Swimming / Keiser), Tyler Horner (Baseball / Oregon Tech), Annalise Jarvis (Softball / Georgia Gwinnett), Eva Joldersma (Indiana Wesleyan / Volleyball), Luca Madeo (Men’s Track / Cumberlands), Marina Nawa (Women’s Soccer / Tennessee Southern), Matt Pennala (Men’s At Large – Volleyball / St. Xavier), Ricardo Rittersberger (Men’s Soccer / Aquinas), Cristelle Rodriguez (Women’s At-Large – Wrestling / Doane), Drew Wyman (Men’s Basketball / College of Idaho), Alina Boshchuk (Cumberlands / Women’s Track)
