By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant
SALEM, Ore. -- Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Jr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) from Willamette University has been named Second Team CoSIDA Baseball Academic All-America for NCAA Division III as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America for the 2022 season. A total of 33 student-athletes were honored as NCAA Division III Baseball Academic All-America selections, with 11 earning First Team, Second Team, and Third Team recognition.
Werkmeister-Martin has achieved a 3.95 cumulative grade point average while working on a double major in Data Science and Economics. He was chosen for the Academic All-America Team as an infielder after starting all 36 games at first base for the Bearcats. The junior received his second straight Academic All-America honor after being named Third Team in 2021.
Willamette concluded the 2022 season with a 19-17 overall record and finished 12-12 (5th place tie) in the Northwest Conference, just two wins out of first place. The top eight teams in the NWC ended the conference season within three games of each other. The Bearcats hit .289 for the season with 31 home runs. Willamette pitchers struck out 299 batters and held opponents to a .271 batting average.
During the season, Willamette registered a 10-6 record at home. The Bearcats were 6-5 in one-run games and built up a 17-6 record when scoring six or more runs.
Second Team CoSIDA NCAA Division III Baseball Academic All-America
Werkmeister-Martin (Jr., 1B) earned Second Team Academic All-America honors, following another great season at first base. He was named First Team CoSIDA NCAA Division III Academic All-District VIII for the second straight year, and was Second Team All-NWC in both 2021 and 2022 as well.
This spring, Werkmeister-Martin was one of the Bearcats' top power hitters with a .537 slugging percentage. He ranked in the top 10 in the NWC with 52 hits and a .349 overall batting average, leading Willamette with 32 runs scored while driving in 28. He recorded 17 extra-base hits behind 11 doubles, one triple and five home runs. He was solid defensively as well, committing just five errors in 287 chances, including 272 putouts on the year to finish with a .983 fielding percentage.
He showed exceptional speed on the bases, going 19 for 20 on stolen base attempts (95%). In a doubleheader against Lewis & Clark College on March 13, he was 7 for 11 (.636) at the plate with a double, six runs scored, and two RBIs, as the Bearcats won 12-11 and 12-5. He put together an 11-game hitting streak in the middle of the season, recording 24 hits during that stretch.
In 2021, Werkmeister-Martin received Third Team All-America recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and was selected First Team All-Region by the ABCA and D3baseball.com after batting .379 with 46 runs and 36 RBIs. Also in 2021, he accumulated 64 hits, including 13 doubles and 10 homers, and was 7 for 7 on stolen bases. He topped the Bearcats with a .400 batting average in NWC regular season play.
Werkmeister-Martin has played in 94 games during his career, including 88 starts. He owns a .368 career batting average with 132 hits in 359 at bats. He has belted 28 doubles and 15 home runs, while scoring 87 runs and providing 73 RBIs. He is 28 of 29 on career stolen base attempts. In addition, Werkmeister-Martin has a .577 career slugging percentage and a .421 on-base percentage. His career stats on defense include 633 putouts and a .988 fielding percentage.
