Three baseball players and one softball player from Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) have been named Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) 2018 Spring Academic Excellence Award winners for their outstanding work in the classroom and on the field.
Sophomore baseball players Nathaniel Cantonwine, Jerrett Plunkett and Colton Walker, and sophomore softball player Miah Slater all achieved a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA, earned a minimum of 36 credits and were recommended by coaches.
“Being selected as an NWAC Academic Excellence award winner is a huge honor,” said Brad Baker, BMCC Assistant Athletic Director. “Balancing academics and athletics takes great time management, hard work, and determination to be successful in both areas. Miah, Nate, Jerrett, and Colton did an exceptional job modeling what it takes to be a successful student-athlete at BMCC.”
Cantonwine, from Salem, was a catcher and outfielder for the Timberwolves last season, where he was named to the NWAC East Region 1st team as a catcher. He will play for Corban University in his hometown this fall after having graduated from BMCC in May with an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)/Business degree. He’ll pursue his bachelor’s degree in business.
Plunkett, an outfielder from Spirit Lake, Idaho, was a peer tutor at BMCC and also graduated in the spring with his AAOT, and will play for Dakota State University in South Dakota this fall. He had a successful season at BMCC, where he recorded three multi-hit games.
Walker, a standout pitcher from The Dalles, heads to Bellevue University in Nebraska this fall, where he’ll pursue a degree in criminal justice. He graduated from BMCC in the spring after a successful season with the Timberwolves, where he recorded nine wins on the mound in two seasons, which is towards the top of any BMCC pitcher in school history.
Slater, from Elgin, was also honored with the NWAC 2018 Winter Academic Excellence Award for maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a basketball player for the Timberwolves.
