WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Ben Buerkle has been opposing pitchers' worst nightmare this season—not to mention a human vacuum in center field.
 
And for the third year in a row, Buerkle's successes on the field—and in the classroom—did not go unnoticed, as he was once again named CoSIDA Division III Academic All-District 6.
 
Offensively, Buerkle—a CoSIDA Academic All-District and Division III Academic All-America® Third-Teamer a year ago—has been the driver of the Cardinals' offensive juggernaut, boasting a team-leading .411 batting average. The senior also leads or shares the team lead in runs (36), hits (51), doubles (12), total bases (86), slugging percentage (.694), walks (29)—including 16 in his last 12 games—on-base percentage (.529), and stolen bases (16).
 
Buerkle, who became the program's all-time hits leader earlier this season and enters the team's regular-season finale with a school-record 231, has been held off the base paths just twice through 37 games this season—failing to reach base in Game 1 against UW-Oshkosh on April 2 and in Game 2 vs. St. Thomas on April 13. Buerkle owns at least one hit in 29 of the team's 37 games, and has collected at least one hit in 138 of the 155 games he's played in during his four-year collegiate career—while reaching base safely in 150 of those 155 games.
 
And defensively, Buerkle has been near-perfect from his position in center field, making just two errors in 97 changes (.979 fielding percentage), while collecting 91 putouts and adding four assists.
 
Buerkle was one of six Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections to the Academic All-District 6 Team, being joined by Lars Anderson of Bethel, Saint John's Brennan Swan, Nick McMullen from Macalester, Josh Chatfield of Gustavus, and Augsburg's Jack Duffy.
 
The CoSIDA Academic All-District Team is the most prestigious student-athlete academic award in the nation. With his selection to the All-District 6 Team, Buerkle is now placed on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, with first-, second-, and third-team selections made later this month.