By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University's baseball team has qualified for the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for 2021-22. Teams qualified for the honor by earning a 3.0 team grade point average on a 4.0 scale during the academic year.

The ABCA selected 158 teams from NCAA Division III to receive the award, up for 147 in 2020-21. The list included Willamette and three other Northwest Conference teams. Overall, just under 700 teams were chosen from the three NCAA Divisions, the NAIA, junior college, and high schools.

"I am extremely proud of the players' efforts in the classroom last spring," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "It isn't easy to play baseball in the Northwest Conference and be an excellent student at the same time. Their success on and off the field is a testament to their determination to strive for greatness in all areas of their lives."

Willamette finished the 2022 season with a 19-17 overall record while pounding out 31 home runs and earning a .289 team batting average. Pitchers for the Bearcats struck out a school record 299 batters. The Bearcats were 12-12 in the NWC (5th place tie) and completed the year just two games out of first place. WU was 6-5 in one-run games and 17-6 when scoring at least six runs. Eight Bearcats received All-NWC recognition, as three were named to the Second Team and five earned Honorable Mention.

Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Jr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS), who batted .349 with 52 hits, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, five homers, and 28 RBIs, was named Second Team CoSIDA Baseball Academic All-America for NCAA Division III as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America. He was named Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2021. In addition, Werkmeister-Martin earned First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors for the second year in a row.