A total of five individuals from the University of Rochester baseball team garnered recognition from the College Sports Communicators (CSC) as Academic All-District® selections, as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Yellowjackets who met the criteria for the 2024 season were seniors Dillon Bevan, Alec Ellison, Quincy Jaksch and Nolan Sparks, along with junior Mark Aaronson.
 
The 24 CSC Academic All-District® Baseball Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and compete in 90-percent of an institution's games or must start in at least 66-percent of an institution's games. For baseball pitchers, the minimum is 17 appearances or 25 total innings pitched.
 
For Bevan, a senior pitcher, his 2024 season on the mound saw him finish with a 1-3 ERA across 10 starts for the Yellowjackets. He tallied 42.2 innings on the mound and struck out 33 batters, compiling a 5.27 ERA. His ten starts were tied for the most on the team and his strikeout total was fourth-best on the Yellowjackets. Bevan's best game of the year was a 6-inning effort with 10 strikeouts and no earned runs allowed against Allegheny on March 16. Bevan also was a First Team All-Liberty League honoree as a first-year back in 2021.
 
Away from his sport, Bevan is a 3-time Liberty League All-Academic choice and graduated last month with a degree in Finance from the University. He received the Dean's Scholarship and overall was a 7-time Dean's List recipient. He spent time during his undergraduate career serving as interns with the Boston Red Sox as a Client Services Intern and England & Company where he was a full-time Investment Banking Analyst.
 
Ellison capped his Rochester career with a career-year, finishing with a .353 batting average across 35 games (33 starts). The senior infielder received Honorable Mention All-Liberty League praise, the first of his career after sitting the middle of the 'Jacket batting lineup nearly all season. He finished the season with 22 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and a team-high 32 runs batted in. Additionally, he slugged .522, had a .388 on-base percentage and was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Ellison also earned Liberty League Performer of the Week honors twice this season, garnering the award on April 8 and March 18.
 
The Arlington, Virginia native graduated with his degree in Political Science in May. He was a Wilder Leadership Scholarship recipient and served as a Teacher's Assistant in the Political Science Department under Professor Gerald Gamm. He also worked as a research assistant with Professor Gamm for four years and helped with research for an upcoming book about political party organization. He is a 3-time Liberty League All-Academic recipient and was the winner of the 2024 Taylor Frisian '06 Verntura Award in Political Science.
 
Jaksch, an infielder in charge of manning the hot corner, was a solid producer for the 'Jacket batting order in 2024. The senior appeared in 31 games (28 starts) and recorded 23 hits, 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 19 RBI and 20 runs scored. He added five stolen bases and was tasked with doing the little things, ranking second on the team with four sacrifice flies and seven sacrifice bunts. Jaksch had a terrific series at William Peace during the teams spring break trip in North Carolina, going 6-for-15 with 5 doubles, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored.
 
He was a double-major in Statistics and Financial Economics at Rochester and was recently inducted into the University chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for excellence in the classroom. Jaksch also received the Dean's Scholarship, worked as a T-A in several Math, Finance and Economics courses and was a 3-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree. The Sedalia, Colorado native served as a Real Estate Analyst Intern at Blackstone Portfolio Company in 2023 and spent time volunteering as a tutor at the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester throughout his senior year.
 
Sparks was Rochester's ace on the mound throughout most of his career, finishing off his senior season in style, earning D3baseball.com All-America honors in 2024. The right-hander had a 4-2 record across 10 starts, compiling a 2.25 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and .201 batting average against. Sparks struck out a whopping 80 batters and only walked 19 individuals while throwing a total of 60.0 innings this season. He was named Liberty League Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season and earned his third straight First Team All-Liberty League honor.
 
A multiple-year All-Region selection as well, Sparks built up an impressive resume away from the diamond as well, graduating last month with his degree in Neuroscience and Business. He was a Simon Scholar Award recipient and was elected to UR's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa last month. Sparks also was a Garnish Scholar winner from the Department of Athletics and Recreation and has earned Liberty League All-Academic Awards for the past three years. Sparks plans on continuing his athletic and academic career at Boston College next year, working towards obtaining his Master's degree in Finance.

Aaronson, a previous All-Conference relief pitcher, saw his role fluctuate from a bullpen to starting role in 2024. The junior appeared in 15 total games, logging 44.0 innings on the mound while turning in a 3.48 ERA and 3-2 win-loss record. He struck out 40 batters and walked 20, holding opponents to just a .227 average against this season. Aaronson also chipped in two saves this season, moving him into a tie for Rochester's all-time lead for a career.
 
For his efforts in the classroom, Aaronson earns his second straight Academic All-District and Liberty League All-Academic award. The Biomedical Engineering major is on the Pre-Med track at Rochester and has spent time performer research in that field at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Aaronson also is a member of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the national Biomedical Engineering Honor Society. The junior also has interned with Dr. Kara Spiller at Drexel University and shadowed Dr. Eric Levioff who is an Orthopedic Surgeon with Rothman Orthopedics. Currently, Aaronson is volunteering at Jefferson University Hospital in the Emergency Room.
 
Academic All-District selections will be evaluated by a sub-committee and advanced to the national, All-America ballot, to be voted on by CSC members within their respective divisions.
 
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball and softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.