College Baseball: Roper Named Capital One Academic All-District

University of Illinois redshirt-senior Reid Roper was selected as a Capital One first-team Academic All-District® honoree, announced the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Roper collected the laurel for the first time in his career.

Roper, who is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, boasts a 3.55 GPA as an elementary education major. He has started at second base for the past four years at Illinois and has served as the team's closer, picking up 11 career saves, which is tied for eighth in school history.

During the 2015 season, Roper is hitting .298 while also tallying a save in four appearances out of the bullpen, helping the Illini to their best start in program history and a school-record 21-game winning streak. He leads the team with 38 RBI and four triples, which are both tied for fifth in the Big Ten. The Harrisburg, Illinois, native is tied for second on the team with a career-high six home runs.

Roper is one of 11 student-athletes from District 5 to receive the award and joins three fellow Big Ten honorees. As a First Team selection, Roper will be placed on the ballot for the Academic All-America® Team, which will be announced later this month.