Joseph Roach named to Second Academic All-American

2015 Jun 24

Georgia State University catcher Joseph Roach of Holly Springs was named to the Capital One Academic All-America baseball second team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The Georgia State junior is one of the top all-around student-athletes in the nation with three all-conference awards on the diamond to go along with his 3.92 grade-point average. He is majoring in actuarial science in Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Roach hit .302 this spring with seven homers and 39 runs batted in to earn first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the second straight year. A semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the top catcher in Division I, he threw out 22 base runners and picked off three others while handling a pitching staff that set the school record for lowest earned run average.

A native of Holly Springs, N.C., Roach is the 15th Academic All-American in Georgia State but just the second in baseball, along with 2013 selection Scott Sarratt, also a catcher.

Roach is one of two Academic All-America selections at Georgia State this spring, joining softball standout Callie Alford. Ten Panther student-athletes have been recognized as Academic All-Americans since 2010.