By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University first baseman Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) has been chosen as a Third Team selection on the 2023 NCAA Division III Academic All-America Baseball Team, as voted on by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA). It was the third consecutive season that Werkmeister-Martin has earned Academic All-America honors. He was named Third Team Academic All-America in 2021 and was chosen Second Team Academic All-America in 2022, before receiving this year's honor.
Players nominated for the CSC Academic All-District Team and the CSC Academic All-America team were starters or key reserves with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Each nominated student-athlete was at their current college or university for at least one academic year.
Willamette concluded the 2023 season with a 25-14 record, including a 15-9 mark in the Northwest Conference as the Bearcats tied for second place. Willamette qualified for the NWC Tournament for the fourth time since 2016. On offense, the Bearcats blasted 96 extra-base hits on their way to a .293 team batting average. WU pounded 57 doubles, four triples, and 35 homers, while stealing 69 bases and scoring 7.2 runs per game. The pitching staff struck out 295 batters in 339 innings for a team average of 7.83 strikeouts per nine innings played.
NCAA Division III Third Team Academic All-America
Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B) batted .290 this season while contributing 20 runs, 25 RBIs, six doubles, and two home runs to Willamette's offensive efforts. As a first baseman this spring, he earned 255 putouts and 14 assists with just one error for a .996 fielding percentage.
His .348 career batting average ranks sixth all-time at Willamette. His career statistics also include 483 at bats (18th at WU), 168 hits (8th), 107 runs (tied for 13th), 98 RBIs (tied for 12th), 34 doubles (7th), and 17 homers (tied for 12th). He was 36 of 42 on stolen bases, with his successful total tying for 11th all-time at Willamette. On defense, he ranked fourth all-time with 888 career putouts and was fourth with 68 double plays turned, while recording a .990 fielding percentage.
In 2021, Werkmeister-Martin was chosen Third Team All-America by the ABCA and was named First Team All-Region by the ABCA and D3baseball.com. He was Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2023 and was Second Team All-NWC in 2021 and 2022.
Werkmeister-Martin graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Data Science. He is in Willamette's 3+2 Data Science program and will be completing a master's degree in Data Science. He owns a 3.967 cumulative GPA.
