Finnell was one of eight other designated hitters listed on the national ballot after each received All-District First Team honors earlier in the month. The national Academic All-America Team consists of three teams and was voted on by Sports Information Directors from across the country. He is the first Ozarks' athlete to receive national First Team Academic All-America honors.

Tuesday's announcement marks the third major honor Finnell has received this month. He was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region Second Team and made the D3baseball.com All-America Second Team. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District All-America team in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In his senior campaign, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Tulsa, Okla., product hit .374 with 13 homers, 12 doubles, 56 RBI while owning a .784 slugging percentage. He finished the 2008 season with 109 total bases and a .486 on-base percentage. The right-handed slugger ranked 19th in NCAA III in home runs and 27th in slugging percentage. He ranked in the top ten in the American Southwest Conference in six offensive categories. 

He is the career leader at Ozarks in home runs (31), RBI (159), games played (162), runs (131), hits (189), doubles (31), triples (8), total bases (329), walks (73) and hit by pitch (42). He owns a .348 career batting average, tenth-best at Ozarks and a .606 career slugging percentage, fourth-best at Ozarks. He was a three-time All-Conference player. 

He finished his career with a 3.55 grade point average as a political science major.

ESPN The Magazine recognizes outstanding NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA student-athletes in the college division. To be eligible for Academic All-America honors, student-athletes must be a starter with legitimate athletic achievements and maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average for his career.