AUSTIN, Texas — Five Tusculum University student-athletes have been named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-District® Baseball first team as selected by the College Sports Communicators.
Earning Academic All-District® recognition are: Philip Miller, Caid Sanders, Ben Scartz, Max Schmarder and Ty Smith.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Baseball Team honors the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the softball diamond and in the classroom.
District 3 is comprised of colleges and universities representing the South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and must be at least a sophomore. For position players, nominees must have competed in at least 90 percent of their team’s games played or have started in at least 66 percent of the total number of team games played. For pitchers, nominees must pitch 25-plus innings or appear in 17 contests as a pitcher. Each school is limited a maximum of five (5) nominations per team.
Miller, a junior pitcher from Flat Rock, Michigan, has a 3.70 GPA while majoring in education. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
In his first season with the Pioneers, he worked his way as a starter in the weekend rotation where he made 13 starts and posted a 5.76 earned run average. His 59.1 innings of work were second on the team while his 49 strikeouts were tops on the roster. He went 2-6 and combined on a shutout.
Sanders, a senior pitcher from Hendersonville, Tennessee, recorded a 3.56 GPA as a biology major with a pre-veterinary concentration. He is a member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
In his 42 career appearances on the mound at Tusculum, Sanders has posted a 3-2 record with a 6.36 ERA. He led the team with his 22 appearances which includes one start. He went 1-2 in 2025 where he had a 7.36 ERA in his 33 innings on the mound where he recorded 22 strikeouts.
Scartz, a graduate student from Tarpon Springs, Florida, returns to the CSC Academic All-District team for a second straight year. He graduated from Tusculum last May with magna cum laude distinction while majoring in business with a 3.64 GPA. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. In 2024, he was the recipient of the Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2ADA) Academic Achievement Award.
Scartz is a three-time All-SAC selection at shortstop including this year where he garnered third team laurels. He finished second on the team with his .331 batting average where he totaled 42 hits including eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 29 RBI. He appeared in 36 games with 35 starts as he scored 24 runs, was hit by pitch seven times and did not strike out in his 147 plate appearances.
During his 125-game career at Tusculum, Scartz finished with 171 hits with 33 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 103 runs and 101 RBI. He drew 51 walks against only 20 strikeouts as he posted a .359 batting average. He also recorded an on-base percentage of .432.
Schmarder, a graduate student from Buffalo, New York, graduated from Tusculum in May 2024 with his undergraduate degree while majoring in sport management and posted a 3.54 GPA. He is a member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
He was Tusculum’s starting third baseman as he batted .309 and finished second on the team with 51 hits which included 10 doubles, three home runs and team-best 33 RBI. He established a school record with his 29-game hitting, breaking the previous mark of 28 in a row which lasted 17 years. His 34-game on-base streak is the sixth-longest ever by a Pioneer.
Schmarder finished his TU career with 72 hits including 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 50 RBI.
Smith, a junior outfielder from Elizabethton, Tennessee, has a 3.90 GPA as a double major in business and economics. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, President’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Smith batted .306 in 2025 where he totaled 41 hits including 13 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBI to go along with 20 runs scored. He played in 38 contests including 35 starts.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced this summer.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2024-2025 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.
