COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland junior shortstop Benjamin Cowles was named a Third Team All-American by Baseball America, the publication announced Thursday.

Cowles is coming off one of the finest individual seasons by a position player in program history. Also named First Team All-Big Ten and First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region, Cowles led the Big Ten with 18 home runs, ranked second in RBIs (51), and ranked fourth in slugging percentage (.632). His 18 home runs ranks fourth all-time in Maryland single-season history, and is the most by any Maryland player since 2002. The Newark, N.Y. was also a defensive stalwart at shortstop, leading the conference in assists (126) and ranking second in fielding percentage (.966) among conference shortstops.

The conference's home run leader went on a remarkable 12-week stretch where he hit home runs in every weekend series until the streak was snapped in the last week of the regular season. After slugging five homers in four games against Rutgers in the second week of the season, Cowles was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in his career.

Just a .209 career hitter heading into his junior campaign, Cowles' breakout spring was momentous in helping the team to its first NCAA Tournament since 2017.

Cowles becomes the 22nd Terrapin in program history to earn All-America plaudits and the 12th in the last eight seasons. He collects just the seventh Baseball America All-American honor in Maryland program history, joining Derek Hacopian (1992; Second Team), Brandon Lowe (2014; Freshman Team), Mike Shawaryn (2014; Freshman Team, 2015; Second Team), Tyler Blohm (2017; Freshman Team), and Nick Dunn (2018; Second Team).

Maryland has now had an All-American or freshman All-American in each of the last eight seasons.

Maryland All-Americans since 2014
Benjamin Cowles - 2021
Matthew Shaw – 2021 (Freshman)
Sean Burke – 2020 (Freshman)
Maxwell Costes – 2020, 2019 (Freshman)
Nick Dunn – 2018, 2016 (Freshman)
Tyler Blohm - 2017 (Freshman)
Brian Shaffer – 2017
Marty Costes – 2016 (Freshman)
Kevin Martir – 2015
Kevin Smith – 2015 (Freshman)
Mike Shawaryn – 2015, 2014 (Freshman)
Brandon Lowe – 2015, 2014 (Freshman)