Baseball's Brandon McArthur Captures Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Friday, June 19, 2009 | Baseball
University of Florida third baseman Brandon McArthur (Seffner, Fla.) received the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award at the NCAA College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on Friday. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of coaches, media and fans, is presented annually to college baseball's outstanding NCAA Division I senior student-athlete. Gator pitcher Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) collected softball's version of the award prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award has grown into the nation's premier tribute to college seniors. The award identifies personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete, with criteria including excellence in the classroom, character and community, as well as competition on the field.
“When my phone rang letting me know that I had won the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, I couldn't even finish my meal because I was very excited,” McArthur said. “This is an honor that I would have never expected entering the season. Having so many people support me throughout my career at the University of Florida, this recognition will be a great source of pride for them too. Knowing what the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award represents, it is an honor for me to be the recipient, especially knowing that the other nine finalists were all deserving candidates who easily could have won."
McArthur finished his senior year with a career-high .338 batting average, 41 runs batted in, 25 runs scored and a team-leading 14 doubles. Florida captured its first Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title since 2005 and ended its campaign with a 42-22 overall mark. The Gators claimed the NCAA Gainesville Regional with three consecutive wins, as McArthur was chosen to the All-Tournament team, and earned their third trip to Super Regionals in the past six seasons.
McArthur received his bachelor's degree in criminology and is working towards a master's degree in anthropology. He carries a 3.21 GPA and is a four-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He is one of only six Gator baseball student-athletes to have been named to the conference honor roll at least four times.
In the community, McArthur regularly donates his time to various local causes, including Special Olympics, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the March of Dimes. He recently received a President's Volunteer Service Award, recognizing his contributions to the Gainesville community. In addition, he is a two-time selection to the SEC Baseball Community Service Team, highlighting one baseball player from each conference school for his superior service efforts.
"Brandon is a remarkable individual whose story will be passed down to future Gator teams,” Florida head baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. “What he has accomplished in the classroom, on the field and in everyday life are all characteristics everyone can learn from. Brandon is one of the best people that I have ever been around and is an inspiration to all of us."
The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award also names an All-Senior All-America Team each year based on voting results of the finalists. Joining McArthur on the 2009 first team are Scott Bittle, Ole Miss; Jason Haniger, Georgia Tech; Ben Orloff, Cal Irvine and Adam Warren, North Carolina. The second team includes Brian Cloud, Texas Tech; Grant Escue, Bradley; Nick Faunce, Kansas; Nate Freiman, Duke and Matt Nohelty, Minnesota.
“The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award has developed into a wonderful tribute for NCAA student-athletes,” said Bob Gfeller, senior vice president of marketing at Lowe's. “On behalf of more than 228,000 associates at Lowe's, we salute Brandon for a tremendous collegiate career at the University of Florida. He has been a role model for many youngsters and has clearly taken his status as an NCAA student-athlete and leveraged it to benefit others.”
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