The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team had three of its student-athletes named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team on Tuesday, June 3. The honored players are junior pitchers Will Davidsmeier, Cole Shamhart, and Jake Pullam. This is the second consecutive season that Davidsmeier has received this recognition, while Shamhart and Pullam are being acknowledged for the first time.
Davidsmeier made 12 appearances this season, starting in 11 games. He recorded a 5.20 earned run average with a 3-3 win-loss record. He pitched for a total of 62.1 innings and tied for the team’s lead with 53 strikeouts. One of his standout performances was against DePauw on April 26, where he pitched seven innings with only two hits allowed and struck out seven batters.
Shamhart appeared in 15 games and pitched for a total of 46.2 innings, achieving a record of one win and two losses along with striking out 29 opponents. He was particularly effective as a relief pitcher towards the end of the season, notably throwing two hitless innings in a decisive victory over Blackburn on April 29.
Pullam distinguished himself as a candidate for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Pitcher of the Year by leading his team with an earned run average of 2.65. Over his 12 appearances, which included ten starts, he achieved an undefeated record of seven wins without any losses and struck out 53 batters across 57.2 innings. Opponents had a batting average of .223 against him; he also recorded two saves alongside maintaining a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.16. Nationally ranked at number seventy-two in ERA (earned run average), Pullam was selected to the First Team All-CCIW and recognized as part of the Third Team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Looking ahead, Pullam will be considered for inclusion on the Academic All-America ballot, with CSC scheduled to announce its Academic All-America baseball teams for the year on July 1.
