EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award for baseball, in an announcement made Tuesday afternoon.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
 
Kaczmarski has started all 181 games that he has played for the Purple Aces during his four-year career. The Cary, Ill. native has hit .326 in his career with 15 triples, which are third best in program history, and 50 doubles, which rank 11^th.
 
This season, Kaczmarski holds a team-best .404 batting average. Despite missing seven games due to injury, he has 19 hits, three doubles, two triples and 10 runs batted in. He also leads the Aces in stolen bases and has struck out just three times in a total of 47 at-bats.
 
In addition to his on-field accomplishments, Kaczmarski has also devoted countless time to the community. Kevin has worked closely with the Boys and Girls Club here in Evansville, playing sports with the local children in the area. He has also participated in the Just Read Program, helping school children read in a classroom setting. He also was involved with Team Impact, helping a local youth with a terminal illness join the UE Baseball family for the historic 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship.
 
Of the 30 candidates, eight have cumulative grade-point averages of 3.4 or higher and two have been finalists for CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American honors. Four began their careers as Freshman All-Americans in 2012, two earned All-American status midway through their careers, and two more began 2015 as Preseason All-Americans. Twelve of the candidates on this year's high-achieving list of nominees play for teams currently ranked in the NCBWA Top 25 poll.
 
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2015 College World Series® in June.
 
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.