Friends Athletics
Levi Convirs, Sports Information Director
AUSTIN, Texas – Friends University senior first baseman Troy Puga has been chosen to receive the prestigious honor of College of Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) NAIA Baseball Academic All-America of the Year, the organization announced Monday. This marks the second CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year nod for the Falcon baseball program in the past three years, with Augie Isaacson also receiving the award in 2018.
The honor also includes Puga’s third straight CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition.
A Pueblo, Colo. native, Puga’s impact transcended both the playing field and the classroom.
A unanimous first-team All-KCAC performer last season, Puga was fourth in the conference in hitting (.385), while hitting a league-high .444 in conference games.
Before the spring season was cancelled this year, Puga was hitting a robust .349 along with a .495 on-base percentage and a .547 slugging percentage.
A Health Sciences/Biochemistry major, Puga has also earned both NAIA and KCAC Scholar Athlete honors during his Falcon tenure.
“I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award,” Puga said.
“I would like to thank my teammates, coaches, professors, administration, family, friends, and everyone who has supported me along the way. I am grateful that I am able to represent Friends University and our baseball program. Putting in the work on the field and in the classroom has been a challenge, but it is incredible when it culminates into something of this magnitude. Friends University has provided me with so many great memories and I am so thankful to be a Falcon for life!”
“This is an incredible recognition for Troy and very well deserved for him and our program,” Friends head baseball coach Adam Neisius said.
“Troy was a tireless worker on and off the field and I’m so proud of him. This is our second Academic All-America of the year in the last three years, this speaks volumes of the type of student/athlete we have in the Friends University baseball program.”