OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Illinois State senior baseball player Jacob Hendren has been named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award, an honor recognizing Division I student-athletes who have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Hendren is one of 30 candidates for the award.
A native of Le Roy, Illinois, Hendren made a splash in his first season at Illinois State in 2015, earning All-Missouri Valley Conference First-Team honors, while being named the league's Newcomer of the Year. He was also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team, before being named a Louisville Slugger Third-Team All-American following the season.
Hendren was named a Preseason All-American by a pair of national outlets prior to the 2016 season and has started his senior season with a 1-3 record and 6.85 ERA. His best outing came in his most recent start, when he pitched eight solid innings without allowing an earned run in a 2-1 victory over Western Michigan on March 11.
Equally impressive in the classroom, Hendren owns a 3.89 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) as a mathematics/pre-medicine major. He was named both a CoSIDA Academic All-Region and All-America selection in 2015. He also received MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team and MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award honors a year ago.
The 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the season. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies the four areas of excellence.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 College World Series in June.
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