Kory Knell, a senior outfielder from BYU, has been named second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America as selected by CoSida (College Sports Information Directors of America).
Knell, who has a 3.95 cumulative grade point average and is in BYU's master's of accounting program, was a co-captain for the Cougar baseball team. In 2005, he batted .332, starting in 53 of the team's 59 games and hit 11 doubles, seven homers and drew 25 walks for the third-highest on-base percentage on the squad (.428).
Knell is a member of the Golden Key, the Beta Sigma, and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies and is an NCAA post-graduate scholar nominee. Last season he was Academic All-Mountain West Conference and was a national player of the week against the Air Force Academy for hitting five home runs in the six-game series.
Knell serves on BYU's Student Advisory Committee for Athletics and is a tutor of math and accounting to fellow college students. Last month he received the Cougar Club Memorial Award given to an outstanding athlete with high scholarly achievement. Midway in his junior college career at Saddleback Community College in California, Knell served a Church mission to Illinois. Knell graduated from Cottonwood High in Salt Lake City.
Joining Knell on the second team from the MWC was New Mexico's Chris Carlson.
Previous BYU baseball Academic All-Americans include: David Bayles (1B) 1995, Dave Madsen (SS) 1992, Brent Brown (DH) 1989, Eric Varoz (outfield) 1983 and 1984, Cam Killebrew (DH/outfield) 1978, Ron Hill (2B) 1975, and Doug Howard (1B) 1969 and 1970.