Baseball solidifies 2013 signing class

July 16, 2012

Fourteen signees from the 2013 class will join the Arizona State University baseball program for the 2012-13 school year and the 2013 baseball season. The signing class includes six players who were drafted in the 2012 Major League First-Year Player Draft, including one in the 12th round, as well as four local players from the Phoenix Valley.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Kellogg, who was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round, elected to attend ASU and is expected to be a major factor in the pitching rotation for the next three seasons. Kellogg is from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, and is the second Canadian in the past two years to sign with the Sun Devils. Download Full Image

David Graybill, a right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Brophy Prep in Phoenix, spurned the Los Angeles Dodgers, who took him in the 31st round, and is set to be a third-generation Sun Devil. His grandfather, Dave Graybill Sr., is one of only seven three-sport letterman in ASU school history after playing baseball, football and basketball during the mid-50s, and his father, Dave Graybill Jr., starred as a pitcher for the baseball team from 1982-84.

Graybill is one of two players from Brophy Prep, joining outfielder Chris Beall. Left-handed pitcher and outfielder Nick Diamond is from Paradise Valley, Ariz., and went to Chaparral High School, while right-handed pitcher Eric Melbostad is from Scottsdale, Ariz., and went to Pinnacle High School.

Other student-athletes who opted to attend ASU rather than sign professional contracts include right-handed pitcher and outfielder Ryan Burr, who was taken by the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round, left-handed pitcher Brett Lilek, who was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 37th round, outfielder Cullen O'Dwyer, taken by the Atlanta Braves in the 39th round, and outfielder John Sewald, who was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 34th round.

List of 2013 class:

Name	Pos.	Hometown	High School	2012 MLB Draft
Jordan Aboites	INF	Long Beach, Calif.	Mayfair
Chris Beall	OF	Phoenix, Ariz.	Brophy Prep
Ryan Burr	RHP/OF	Highlands Ranch, Colo.	Highlands Ranch	33rd rd (1026th overall), Texas Rangers
Nick Diamond	LHP/OF	Paradise Valley, Ariz.	Chaparral
Tony DiMartino	INF/OF	Alamo, Calif.	Monte Vista
Dalton DiNatale	INF	Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.	Ontario Christian
David Graybill	RHP/OF	Phoenix, Ariz.	Brophy Prep	31st rd (956th overall), LA Dodgers
Tony Kamachi	RHP	Kapolei, Hawai'i	Kapolei
Ryan Kellogg	LHP	Whitby, Ontario, Canada	Henry Street	12th rd (385th overall), Toronto Blue Jays
Brett Lilek	LHP	New Holland, Ill.	Marian Catholic	37th rd (1121st overall), Seattle Mariners
Eric Melbostad	RHP	Scottsdale, Ariz.	Pinnacle
Cullen O'Dwyer	OF	Albuquerque, N.M.	El Dorado	39th rd (1199th overall), Atlanta Braves
John Sewald	OF	Las Vegas, Nev.	Bishop Gorman	34th rd (1032nd overall), Baltimore Orioles
RJ Ybarra	C	Riverside, Calif.	Riverside Poly

Sun Devil Athletics by the numbers: Academic All-Americans

July 16, 2012

All Time Individuals By School

All Time Standings Download Full Image

Who Has The Most

ASU History of Academic All-Americans

Every year the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) updates its lists of who has the most Academic All-Americans in various forms. A constant among the ranks is Arizona State, who ranks among the best in the nation and in the Pac-12.

Dating back to 1962, the Sun Devils have produced 105 Academic All-Americans, and for the 2011-12 academic year tied for second among Division I schools with nine student-athletes earning the honor. Only fellow Pac-12 member Stanford had more recognized this year, with 12.

"The growing number of Academic All-Americans is a shining example of the power of partnership amongst coaches, student-athletes and academic support staff in the spirit of the New American University ideals," said Jean Boyd, a Senior Associate Athletic Director and the Director for Office of Student-Athlete Development.

As part of Arizona State's eight design aspirations to enable student success, the University is focused on outcome-determined excellence. ASU students have broad knowledge and perspective, build their own communities and are provided with a clear path to graduation.

With the University's guidance, the "Office of Student Athlete Development serves as Sun Devil Athletics' catalyst for student-athlete's academic achievement while promoting the development of critical life skills toward life long achievement," Boyd continued.

Since the 2000s, CoSIDA released that Arizona State ranks seventh at the Divison I level and second in the Pac-12 with 62 Academic All-Americans. In just one year, the Sun Devils have moved up two spots in the nation in this regard (Aug. 1, 2011 release).

"In connection with Arizona State University's rise in academic excellence, Sun Devil Athletics has cultivated a culture of combined athletic and academic prowess that has produced 62 Academic All-Americans since 2000," said Boyd.

Those who earned honors in 2011-12 were: Elina Eggers (1st team, diving), Hillary Bach, (1st team, softball), Katelyn Boyd (1st team, softball), Bailey Wigness, (1st team, softball), Annie Lockwood, (2nd team, softball), John Kline (1st team, track and field), Jamie Sandys (2nd team, track and field), Nick Happe (3rd team, trak and field) and Cj Navarro (2nd team, track and field).

Pac-12 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans All-Time
Stanford, 174
UCLA, 113
Arizona State, 105Arizona, 91
Oregon, 84
Utah, 63
USC, 60
Washington, 58
Colorado, 51
Washington State, 46
Oregon State, 38
California, 34

CoSIDA Academic All-Americans All-Time (Division I)
1. Nebraska, University of 299
2. Notre Dame, University of 223
3. Penn State University 175
4. Stanford University 174
5. Texas, University of 124
6. Florida, University of 123
7. Bucknell University 122
8. Ohio State University 114
9. California-Los Angeles, University of (UCLA) 113
9. Georgia, University of 113
9. Oklahoma, University of 113
12. Tennessee, University of 112
13. Michigan, University of 107
14. Michigan State University 106
14. Alabama, University of 106
16. Arizona State University 105

Most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Selections since 2000 (Division I)
1. Nebraska, University of 112
2. Notre Dame, University of 97
3. Penn State University 81
4. Stanford 78
5. Alabama, University of 70
6. Tennessee, University of 64
7. Arizona State 62

Most Pac-12 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Selections since 2000 (Division I)
1. Stanford 78
2. Arizona State 62

Women's Volleyball Most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Selections
1. Nebraska, University of 36
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15
3. Stanford University 13
4. Penn State University 11
4. Florida, University of 11
6. Texas A&M University 10
7. Arizona State University 9
7. Georgia, University of 9
7. Northern Iowa, University of 9
7. Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of 9
7. New Mexico State University 9
7. Southern California, University of 9
7. Washington University 9
7. Central Missouri, University of 9
7. Southeast Missouri State University 9
7. Purdue University 9
(all numbers as of June 14, 2012)