Last week, the College World Series came to a highly anticipated close on June 30, 2016, with Coastal Carolina winning their first ever national sports title. A true Cinderella story, Coastal Carolina beat Arizona in Game 3 for the championship. Coastal Carolina’s underdog status brought them many new fans and recognition for their school. As noted in several articles, their success goes beyond the baseball diamond. Coastal Carolina had the highest cumulative grade point average among the eight schools. Their pitchers allowed them to truly rise above the other teams and their toughness led them to victory. Their toughness does not end on the baseball field, though. They also prove themselves in the classroom. They take on the rigors of being a college athlete and still have impressive marks as a student.
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Here are some facts about Coastal Carolina’s star players on and off the field, proving academics are important for anyone.
Andrew Beckwith
Position: Right Handed Pitcher
Andrew Beckwith is a Blythewood, South Carolina native. Beckwith was named the Baseball College World Series Most Outstanding Player and the 2016 Gregg Olson Breakout Player of the Year. He pitched his first full career game in the College World Series to beat top ranked Florida 2-1. Beckwith has also been named to the Dean’s List and Big South Presidential Honor Roll.
Mike Morrison
Position: Right Handed Pitcher
Mike Morrison is a South Carolina native from the town of Gilbert. Morrison was an all star pitcher for Coastal Carolina. In Game 2 of the finals, he delivered 10 strikeouts. Arizona foe, Kevin Grinkel, also pitched 10 strikeouts in the same game. This feat has not been done in over 30 years in a College World Series finals game. Impressive to say the least, Morrison has maintained at least a 3.0 all semesters of his academic career and been named to the Dean’s List three times.
Alex Cunningham
Position: Right Handed Pitcher
Cunningham is a Duncan, South Carolina native and currently a junior at Coastal Carolina. Cunningham is considered one of their pitching workhorses with an impressive arm despite taking his sophomore year off due to injury. After a very short rest, he pitched for the Chants against TCU in the College World Series and led them to victory. Cunningham has been named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll three times and to the Dean’s List.
These pitchers for the College World Series Championship team are just a few examples of how student athletes can succeed on and off the field. Participating in collegiate sports can be grueling mentally and physically. Away events make it difficult to focus on homework, group projects, and studying. However, with a very small percentage of college athletes turning pro, their academics need to be a priority in order to succeed in post grad life. These college athletes prove that it’s possible to participate in athletics and earn good grades.
In addition to sports, you can also find out what the list of athletic scholarships school that sends an impressive amount of athletes to the Rio Summer Olympic Games in 2016.
