Two Bucks County high school baseball teams gained national recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in its 2020-2021 ABCA Academic Excellence Awards:

• Central Bucks High School – West
• Quakertown Community High School

The players were evaluated against athletes representing nearly 200 ABCA-member high schools across the country.

As is evident from the title of the honor, this sports recognition program, unlike others, has nothing to do with athleticism or field skills. The Bucks County players achieved their honor based on solely their academics. To be eligible for ABCA award consideration, a team must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0.

The ABCA has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation’s oldest, founded in 1949.

Only two other teams from Pennsylvania high schools earned the honor: The Perkiomen School in Hanover Township, Montgomery County, and York Suburban High School, 30 miles southeast of Harrisburg.

On the collegiate level, 24 Pennsylvania schools made the grade, across NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III tiers. They included:

• Saint Joseph’s University
• Bloomsburg University
• Elizabethtown College
• Allegheny College

A complete list of nationwide winners is online at the American Baseball Coaches Association.