SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University sophomore Dan Belet has been named to the CoSIDA / ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII College Division Baseball Team, which was released last Friday afternoon.

Belet (Missoula, Mont.) carries a 3.97 grade point average as a double major in engineering and physics. He became a full time starter for the Pirate baseball team this spring, starting 39 games in the outfield. Belet finished 2008 with a .293 batting average with eight doubles and 15 runs batted in. Defensively, Belet had a .980 fielding percentage with only two errors in 99 chances in the outfield.

Belet was one of only two sophomores on the 11-player All-District team. The college-division Academic All-District VIII teams are selected from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players throughout the western United States. The players are nominated and selected by members of CoSIDA. To be eligible for nomination, a player must be a starter or important reserve with a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and of sophomore standing. Belet is also now a candidate for CoSIDA's Academic All-American College Division team.