Klocke is selected academic all-American

Southeast Missouri State junior catcher Jim Klocke has received a major honor for his athletic and academic excellence.

Klocke has been voted to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America baseball second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. He is the first Southeast baseball player to earn Academic All-America honors since pitcher Lee Lummus in 1987.

Klocke, a business administration major with an emphasis in finance, has a 3.923 cumulative grade point average while starring on the field for the Redhawks since his freshman season, when he was the Ohio Valley Conference rookie of the year.

This year Klocke earned all-OVC first team honors for the second straight season while leading the Redhawks with a .394 batting average. He also the topped the squad in runs scored (56), doubles (20) and on-base percentage (.484) while ranking among the team leaders with nine home runs and 46 RBIs.

In his first year as Southeast's closer, Klocke recorded seven saves, which ranks third on the program's single-season list.

Klocke, a St. Louis native, was one of four players from the OVC to earn Academic All-America. Eastern Illinois senior pitcher Brian Morrell made the first team, while Morehead State junior shortstop Drew Lee and junior utility player Michael Bottoms joined Klocke on the second team.