THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball had a program-best three student-athletes earn academic all-America honors for their continued hard work and results in the classroom, the College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Wednesday.
The Yellow Jackets were represented by outfielders Jake DeLeo (Norwalk, Conn./Avon Old Farms School) and Angelo Dispigna (Lawrenceville, Ga./Brookwood HS (Mercer) on the first team, while first baseman John Giesler (Marietta, Ga./Walton HS) was selected to the third team. Georgia Tech led the ACC with its three selections, and were three of the five representatives total from the conference.
Having a career year after finally being fully healthy, DeLeo was one of the ACC’s best centerfielders. Starting in all 57 games, DeLeo hit .365 for 91 hits, 23 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs, slugging .651 and reaching base at a .426 clip. The Norwalk, Conn. native has also stolen eight bases on the field and recorded four outfield assists.
Nationally, DeLeo ranked 12th and 17th in hits and total bases (156), respectively, but in the ACC, he also ranked top 15 in doubles (third), average (10th), runs (10th) and slugging (12th). He also earned second-team all-ACC honors this season.
Majoring in business administration, DeLeo turned in an impressive 3.91 cumulative GPA.
In just his first season on The Flats, transfer outfielder Dispigna was a veteran presence at the plate and in left field for Tech this season. Starting all 57 games this season, Dispigna lead the team with a .393 average, recording 86 hits, 12 doubles and 16 home runs for 58 RBI. He slugged .667 and with a whopping 46 walks drawn, reaching base at a .509 rate. He also had eight stolen bases on the year.
The Lawrenceville, Ga. native ranked top 10 in a myriad of ACC categories at the end of the regular season to be second-team all-ACC – third in on-base percentage, fifth in hits, sixth in total bases, eighth in walks, eighth in RBI, 10th in home runs, and 10th in slugging percentage. He also earned second-team all-ACC honors this year.
Majoring in business administration as a graduate student, Dispigna was one of five first-teamers and 10 student-athletes recognized overall with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The definition of perseverance and a team player, Giesler earned his spot in the starting lineup this season and ran with it, hitting .333 for the year with 52 hits, 13 doubles, two triples and eight home runs for 38 RBI. With 47 appearances and 41 starts in the infield – primarily at first base but also filling in at third base as well – Giesler was even more deadly against ACC opponents, ranking third on the team with a .377 average and 12 extra-base hits, slugging .688.
Majoring in business administration, Giesler was one of just 10 student-athletes recognized with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Georgia Tech’s three academic all-American selections mark the highest for a single year in program history and marks the second time in the last three years it has featured multiple honorees (2020). The Yellow Jackets have now boasted a whopping seven selections since 2019 and have had 15 student-athletes honored 19 times for their work in the classroom under head coach Danny Hall.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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