Cascade Conference Release

EUGENE, Ore.  – Year One for the revived Bushnell Baseball program proved to exceed all expectations, both on the field and off, and on Wednesday the team was recognized as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Les Schwab Male Team of Character, as voted on by the CCC athletic directors.
 
In just its first year as a collegiate program, the Bushnell baseball team quickly established themselves as a team of strong character, gaining a reputation on campus as men of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
 
"I am beyond proud of the community service that all of our teams are a part of throughout Lane County and beyond," said Bushnell Athletic Director Corey Anderson. "Our baseball team in just one year has become a great representative of our University and athletic department, living out our Tri-Athlete Model. I give so much credit to Head Coach Tommy Richards, for the values he is instilling in our team, and the type of athletes he is bringing in to this program."
 
The Beacons lived by a "Getting Sticky" mentality that has created an unparalleled team environment that has a ripple effect among other Beacon teams and campus as a whole. Bushnell's 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.
 
Bushnell also has been involved in numerous community service projects, including 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 "Looking Glass," a local program for runaway and homeless teens. The Beacons also helped with a large painting and cleaning project at their New Roads School property, along with serving the community in-season by collecting over 400-pounds of food and non-perishable items for FOOD For Lane County – during their bye-week in the conference schedule.
 
The Beacons also had a unique opportunity for service with the Springfield High School 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.
 
Baseball Coach Tommy Richards said, "This is a big deal for our program and I am grateful for the conference recognition of the work our guys put in outside of the lines. I have a ton of respect for the teams in our conference and I believe there is huge character and community mindfulness in the CCC. Our players have a heart for the community and their passion to serve others is inspiring. I look forward to building on the relationships we made this year and am excited to see their continued service around Lane County."
 
Bushnell has now been home to three of the last four winners of the Les Schwab Team of Character Awards as the Beacons swept both the male (Men's Soccer) and female (Women's Basketball) awards in 2021.