By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University baseball team has received the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for the 2020-21 academic year. Teams qualified for the award by earning a 3.0 team grade point average on a 4.0 scale during the academic year.

Overall, the ABCA honored more than 380 collegiate teams and more than 200 high school baseball programs. In NCAA Division III, a total of 147 teams received the honor, including Willamette and five other Northwest Conference teams.

"I am incredibly proud of what the players achieved in the classroom," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "Our program strives for excellence in everything we do and the 2021 team did so under adverse circumstances."

Willamette finished the 2020-21 season with a 30-15 record that included a 21-11 mark and third place finish in the NWC standings. The Bearcats qualified for the NWC Tournament and reached the championship game. 

Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) was named Third Team CoSIDA NCAA Division III Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America and was selected Third Team All-America by the ABCA. The ABCA and D3baseball.com each chose seven Bearcats for All-West Region Honors.

Werkmeister-Martin topped Willamette with a .379 batting average. Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) led WU with 15 home runs, while Sean Little (Sr., 2B, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) ranked first on the team with 156 doubles. Werkmeisteer-Martin and Little tied for the team lead with 46 runs scored. Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) led the way with 50 RBIs and trailed only Hoffman with 13 homers.

Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) was the team leader with three triples and completed the season with 49 RBIs and 40 runs scored. Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) scored 36 runs and contributed 48 RBIs.

Layton Wagner (So., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) was 7-1 as a pitcher with a 2.79 earned run average for the Bearcats. He struck out 66 batters. Brady Joyner (Fy., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS), the team's closer, was 6-1 with five saves and a 1.74 ERA in 31 inning pitcher.

NOTE:  The class year listed with each student-athlete is for the 2020-21 academic year.