Williamsburg, Va. - William and Mary Tribe men's soccer player Nathaniel Baako was named the NSCAA Senior College Men's Scholar All-America National Player of the Year on Wednesday. The award is the first in the history of the program for William and Mary. Along with being named Scholar All-America National Player of the Year, Baako was also selected to the 2010 NSCAA Men's College Scholar All-America Team.

“I am thrilled for Nat to have won the prestigious National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Senior College Men's Scholar All-America 'Player of the Year' award,” Tribe head coach Chris Norris said of Baako. “The award is a testament to his work ethic, focus and self-discipline. For four years, Nat has struck a balance between excellence on the soccer field and in the classroom. He is a tremendous example to all student-athletes. We are very proud of him.”

Baako ended his spectacular career for the Green and Gold with a fantastic 2010 season, earning Second-Team All-American honors from the NSCAA. Baako started all 22 matches for the College, scoring four goals and tying for the team lead with six assists. His 14 points tied for third-best on the Tribe, who won the seventh CAA title in program history, making it all the way to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

After the season, Baako was named First-Team All-CAA for the third-consecutive season and was also named First-Team All-South Atlantic Region by the NSCAA. For his career, Baako started all 83 matches in which he appeared, tallying 45 points on 13 goals and 19 assists.

Baako has also been a standout in the classroom, earning First-Team NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-American and First-Team Scholar All-Region honors in 2009. Baako was also recognized by the CAA for his work in the classroom, earning the conference's men's soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year award. Baako will graduate from the College with a degree in finance with a concentration in accounting in the spring.