After earning the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award for the first time in 2019, the Monmouth College baseball team made it a 2-for-2 effort, claiming the award again in 2020.
The Scots posted a team grade point average of 3.33 during the 2019-20 academic year to finish well above the ABCA’s minimum requirement of a 3.0 team GPA on a 4.0 scale. Monmouth’s 2020 season was cut short after just eight games when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down collegiate sports. The Scots had opened the season with a three-game win streak while competing in Fort Pierce, FL. The team had entered the season aiming for their third straight Midwest Conference Tournament appearance after winning the league title in 2018.
“The guys really upped their game, both on the field and in the classroom,” said head coach Alan Betourne, who completed his fifth season at the helm last May. “They didn’t get discouraged when the pandemic ended our season in early March. They rededicated themselves to the game and the classroom. It would have been easy to let the cancellation of the season allow you to give up in both areas. They didn’t, and that speaks volumes about the character of this team. We’re chomping at the bit to get back on the diamond this spring and make a run for another conference title and an ABCA academic honor.”
***Report Courtesy of Monmouth College***
