Baseball Named 2024 CCC Team of Character

Cascade Conference Release

EUGENE, Ore.  – For the second time in three years, the Bushnell baseball team was recognized as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Les Schwab Men’s Team of Character, as voted on by the CCC athletic directors.

Bushnell has now been home to five winners of the Les Schwab Team of Character Awards in the last four years.

Cascade Conference Team of Character (Bushnell Recipients):

2021: Women’s Basketball
2021: Men’s Soccer
2022: Baseball
2023: Women’s Track & Field
2024: Baseball

The award, which recognizes one male and one female team, is voted on by the conference athletic directors after schools submit their nominations.

The Beacon Baseball team, a third-year program, has established itself as a team of strong character, gaining a reputation on campus as men of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. Their character-related focus includes a team rule to sit in the “Power T” in all of their classes (first two rows or directly in the middle of the class), small group bible studies, and a team book club. The team has a 3.33 combined GPA as a result.

The team has been involved in numerous community service projects. The team volunteered on campus move-in day, helping first-time collegiate students move into their dorm rooms. As part of Bushnell’s “Embrace the Community Day” in the fall, the team worked for Food for Lane County at their Grassroots Garden. The team was also a key contributor to a FOOD For Lane County canned food drive, which collected over 2000 pounds of non-perishables for the most needy in our community. Their efforts to help those in need expanded to four other separate projects preparing Weekend food boxes for Springfield HS and the Eugene School District, preparing Thanksgiving boxes for Hamilin Middle School, and buying Christmas presents as part of the athletic department Adopt-a-Family program.  Members of the team have also served this year on the Orientation team, welcoming freshman and transfers and hosting community building activities, tutoring, and work in their local churches. Bushnell also had a unique opportunity for service with the Springfield HS baseball team, through their shared facilities at the newly renovated Hamlin Sports Complex. The Bushnell players routinely hit alongside the high school players, giving pointers, feeding the pitching machine, and throwing soft toss.

“This group of young men have all come together as one with a strong belief in their coaches and brotherhood. It has been a pleasure to watch them compete and celebrate their accomplishments, but more importantly finding a way to stay focused and grind during times of adversity,” stated Bushnell University Athletic Director, Corey Anderson.

This season the Baseball team was named the CCC Team Sportsmanship Award winners and, after finishing fourth in the CCC, won the Conference Tournament and qualified for their first trip to the NAIA National Championship in just three seasons. Baseball was also named Bushnell’s Co-Team of the Year, an honor earned for a team with athletic success but more importantly for having success the right way and for being an example to other teams. The baseball culture is why they have success and what earned them the award.

Head Coach Tommy Richards said, “Bushnell baseball is honored to received this award amongst such a great field of teams in the league. I am so proud of our guys and their character. It has been a thrill to coach them and to witness them doing things the right way. The journey with this team has taught me so much and I am forever grateful for their efforts.”