BOONE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University baseball first baseman David Towarnicky (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) has earned a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship, the NCAA has announced. Towarnicky is one of only 29 men’s spring sports student-athletes nationwide to receive the ultra-competitive award this year.

Towarnicky, who became the first ASU student-athlete in 18 years to earn first-team Academic All-America recognition this spring, carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a double-major in banking and finance and risk insurance management with a minor in international business. He was one of 10 finalists for this year’s college baseball Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which honors Division I senior student-athletes for notable achievements in four areas of excellence ? classroom, character, community and competition.

On the field, Towarnicky hit .303 with nine home runs and 50 RBI as a senior in 2010. He finished his career with a .304 batting average, 39 doubles, 22 home runs and 154 RBI (good for fourth in ASU history). He made 195 career starts, including a string of 121-straight to close out his career, and sported a .992 career fielding percentage with only 15 errors in 1,806 chances as a four-year starter at first base.

Academically, he was honored this spring by ASU’s Walker College of Business as the college’s top overall student and top banking and finance major, as well as earning an academic achievement award from the Wall Street Journal. A member of ASU’s Chancellor’s List, Dean’s List, Walker College of Business honors program and Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, Towarnicky is also the recipient of the Southern Conference’s Camp Champs graduate scholarship. He is currently studying in Germany to fulfill degree requirements and will graduate from ASU in December.