JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In his first season as a Knight, Landon Akers made a big imprint on the Bellarmine University baseball team — and, in turn, made a big impression on Atlantic Sun Conference postseason awards voters. 

Akers landed a trio of conference laurels, earning second-team All-ASUN accolades at shortstop along with ASUN All-Freshman Team notice and Academic All-ASUN Team acknowledgment as the league announced its postseason honors Monday.

Bellarmine occupied a pair of spots on the Academic All-ASUN Team. Junior Joey Milto was cited in addition to Akers for the hybrid award that recognizes both academic excellence and athletic achievement.

Akers made program history by becoming its first-ever freshman to reap All-ASUN plaudits. In fact, the Louisville native is its first underclassman, period, to earn the status (five previous were all a junior or senior). He is the program's second ASUN All-Freshman Team recipient (Davis Crane, 2021).

Akers and Milto combined to double Bellarmine's Academic All-ASUN Team tally. The Knights hadn't had a member on the squad since 2021, when both Josh Finerty and Deylen Miley were recognized.

In his redshirt freshman season, Akers finished among the ASUN leaders in a multitude of categories. He ranked second in the conference in hits (80), fifth in total bases (115), tied for seventh in stolen bases (16), tied for eighth in batting average (.356), tied for ninth in doubles (15) and tied for 10th in runs scored (48).

Akers' 80 hits tied for 33rd in the country at the end of the regular season. They also represent a D1-era program record and they are tied for fourth overall in program history. His .356 batting average ranks as the second best in the D1 era. In the classroom, Akers is a business administration major and carries a 3.68 GPA.

Milto is a finance major and carries a 3.93 GPA. The native of Greenwood, Indiana, was a fixture in the starting lineup this season, batting .264 with five homers, 10 doubles, three triples, 25 RBI and 45 runs scored. Boasting a discerning eye at the plate, the corner outfielder tied for eighth in the ASUN in base on balls (38) while ranking 13th in on-base percentage (.437).

Division champions Austin Peay and Stetson monopolized the ASUN superlative awards. APSU's Cameron Nickens (Player of the Year), Cole Johnson (Freshman of the Year) and Roland Fanning (Coach of the Year) were recognized along with Stetson's Jonathan Gonzalez (Pitcher of the Year) and Lorenzo Meola (Defensive Player of the Year).

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