UCI’s Larson recognized for grades, baseball skill

UC Irvine sophomore Francis Larson, an outfielder and catcher for the Anteaters baseball team, was voted to the ESPN the Magazine Division VIII All-Academic first team.

Larson, a philosophy major, has helped to power the Anteaters to a 33-13 record, 10-8 in the Big West Conference. Through Sunday, he leads the team with seven home runs, 36 runs batted in and 13 doubles (tied with Ben Orloff).

He is third on the team with 57 hits. He also leads the team with 10 multiple-RBI games and has reached base safely in 24 of his last 26 games.

He was five for 10 with three RBIs in the weekend series against visiting Pacific, in which the Anteaters won two of three.

Larson has been on the dean’s list five times and was a Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete as a freshman.

To be eligible for the award, one must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) and be at least a sophomore academically.

— From staff reports