LA JOLLA, Calif. - For the second straight year, UC San Diego relief pitcher Elias Tuma has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-American for his impressive performances in the classroom as well as on the mound.

Tuma, named to this year's second team, possesses a remarkable 3.93 cumulative GPA as a Cognitive Science major at UCSD's Muir College.

The senior right-hander capped off a superb playing career by appearing in 28 games in 2012, giving him 82 trips to the hill over his four seasons, the most by any Triton in program history. Tuma led the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in appearances for the second consecutive season. He also registered three saves in 2012 to finish with 13, which ranks second on UCSD's career list.

Overall in 2012, Tuma finished with a 3.83 ERA and struck out 37 batters over 40 innings of work. He totaled three combined shutouts, the most on the Triton staff. In 19 CCAA outings, he posted a stellar 1.86 ERA and held opponents to a .237 batting average. On Apr. 1 at Cal State Stanislaus, the Fremont, Calif., native struck out a career-high six hitters. Tuma never walked more than one batter in an outing.

"Elias is the epitome of what UCSD Athletics is all about," said Triton head coach Eric Newman. "He excels both on the field and in the classroom. I am very excited for him to receive this honor as he is a great ambassador for UCSD baseball."

UCSD finished with a 33-24 overall record in 2012 and won its fourth straight CCAA regular season and tournament titles. The Tritons qualified for their sixth consecutive NCAA Division II West Regional.

- UCSDtritons.com -