Walk this way: The W Baseball graduates recognized

One of the downsides of reaching the final four of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) post-season tournament this weekend for The W baseball is that its players will miss the University’s traditional graduation ceremony, scheduled for Friday, May 9. Fear not, because The W – to put it in baseball parlance – issued an “intentional walk” for the 8 members of the Owls’ roster slated to graduate.

With The W team – seeded No. 2 in the SLIAC tourney – and departing for O’Fallon, Missouri, on Tuesday, the University and President Nora Miller stepped up to the plate in a big way, organizing a mini-graduation ceremony for the players Monday morning in Nissan Auditorium.  The players were showered with the same pomp and circumstance as a traditional graduation, albeit on a smaller scale.

“I truly appreciate The W coming through for these young men,” W Head Coach Scott Mularz said. “It is, obviously, a crazy week for the administration, too. But to take the time to make sure that the team’s academic work was recognized, while still allowing the players to still pursue their athletic goals, speaks volumes about The W’s interest in our student-athletes.”

Seven of the players earning their degrees were in Business: Tyler Estabrook (Lake Tahoe, California), Avery Benson (Hatley, Mississippi), Landon Clark (Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Loren Cox (Caledonia, Mississippi), Brandon Fenimore (Northport, Alabama), Cole Evans (Waynesboro, Mississippi) and Ethan LeBlanc (LeBlanc, Louisiana). The other, Anderson Wilder (Batesville, Mississippi), earned his degree in Political Science.

The Owls will begin play in the SLIAC postseason tournament – with an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national championships on the line – Thursday, May 8, 5:30 p.m.