HICKORY, N.C. — Catawba Valley Community College sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Patrick was selected this week to the 2020 Scholar-Athlete Team by NATYCAA (National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators).
Patrick, a sophomore from Catawba, N.C., is the first Red Hawk in any sport to receive this honor.
"I am honored to be named to the 2020 NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete Team," Patrick said. "While it is a special honor, this award isn't about me. This award is about my family, friends, teammates and coaches. Without all of their support on a daily basis, this would have never been a possibility. I would also like to thank CVCC for making these past few years some of the best in my life. This is also about my spiritual relationship with God and the decision to take up my cross daily and love others. These past two years, and really my life to this point, have just been about doing my best to serve other people. This honor shows that — with a dedication to pouring yourself into others on a daily basis — anything is possible."
The NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete Team is comprised of up to nine male and nine female student athletes representing nine districts across the United States. Patrick represents District 2, which is comprised of athletes from Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
In order to be eligible for selection, student athletes must be well rounded in all areas, including maintaining a minimum 3.6 GPA, have outstanding athletic success and possess qualities of leadership and citizenship.
Patrick, who went to nearby Bandys High School, currently has a 3.729 GPA. He was selected last spring as an NJCAA Academic All-American and has been on CVCC's President's List (4.0 GPA or higher) twice.
A member of CVCC's Emerging Leaders Club, Patrick is involved in a number of different community service projects, including founding CVCC's Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter and serving as a Salvation Army bell ringer during the holiday season.
Patrick, who will continue his academic and athletic careers this fall at Lenoir-Rhyne University, also speaks to local youth about fitness, nutrition and wellness and serves as a youth group assistant leader at Olivet Baptist Church in Catawba.
On the field, Patrick finished this spring with a 3-0 record on the mound with 23 strikeouts in 21 innings and a 1.71 ERA. Patrick, who was elected one of four captains for the Red Hawk baseball team, was selected to College Baseball Newspaper's "Player to Watch" List earlier this spring.
Patrick's career highlight came on Feb. 23 against Paul D. Camp when he became just the fifth CVCC baseball player to toss a no hitter.
He finishes his Red Hawk baseball career with a 7-1 record in 11 starts with 72 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA.
"Leaders lead from the front, and Andrew Patrick is a shining example of everything that the term 'student-athlete' embodies," said CVCC head baseball coach Paul Rozzelle. "In the classroom, on the practice field or in games, he continues to be a coach's dream, and it was an honor to be a part of his journey the last two years. His future is very bright."
Patrick's selection to the NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete team makes him eligible for the organization's Male Scholar-Athlete Award, which will be announced later this month.
Below is a list of those student athletes who were named the NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete team:
