UF's Greg Larson Named To SEC Baseball Community Service Team
Monday, May 21, 2012 | Baseball
Florida senior right-hander Greg Larson (Longwood, Fla.) was named to the 2012 SEC Baseball Community Service Team announced on Monday for the second-straight year. The SEC sponsors Community Service Teams for all 20 league-sponsored sports. The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community in superior service efforts.
A member of Florida's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Larson participated with Goodwill Gators by visiting children at Shands Hospital and in area schools. He also assisted with the “Miracle on Main Street” events, helping to provide Christmas gifts to more than 300 families and has worked as a counselor at several baseball camps, working with youngsters aged 5-18. Florida's male nominee for the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, Larson is active in Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Larson recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in advertising and is 6-0 with a 1.47 earned run average in 28 appearances this season for the second-ranked Gators (40-16), who will begin the SEC Tournament on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET against Auburn (30-26). Larson rates third in school history with 115 appearances and is tied for first on the school's chart for postseason appearances by a pitcher (12).
The 2012 SEC Baseball Community Service Team follows:
Brandt Hendricks, Alabama
Is a member of the Alabama baseball team that won the school's community service award in 2010 and 2011 … Is the fundraising leader for the baseball team with Project Angel Tree … Participated with the baseball team in the Tornado Recovery efforts during the past year … Also participated in the baseball program annual Sprayberry Christmas Party … Played a key role in the program's reading program, where players from the team read to the students at Northwood and Holt elementary schools … Joined the team for the Big Al's Kid Club and Halloween Extravaganza events … Is the baseball team's Student-Athletics Advisory Committee representative … . SAAC helps to improve the quality of the athletic community … Is a member of the Growing Tide Leaders program, which helps student-athletes learn how to implement leadership techniques with their respective teams … Is on the Communications sub-committee for the SAAC, which helps to improve the marketing and public relations with fans and other student-athletes.
Brandon Moore, Arkansas
Participates in Lift up America, SEC Together We CAN Food Drive, Shop with the Razorbacks, Sweat Hawgs Program, Book Hogs Read to Win, Christmas Adopt a Child, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Miracle League Baseball and Homestyle Assisted Living Thanksgiving Dinner ... Is a member of Arkansas' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Caleb Bowen, Auburn
Volunteer at Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Alabama … Took a mission trip to Venezuela to help with home repair and share the Gospel … Volunteered with Carpenters for Christ to help build and repair homes … Volunteered at Boykin Center in Auburn … Helped with tornado relief in Auburn and north Alabama … Visited with patients at the Bethany House Hospice Center in Auburn.
Kevin Ruiz, Georgia
Member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that organizes and participates in various projects, including Home Runs for Hometown Rivals, a baseball game fundraiser to benefit Athens-Clarke County Special Olympics; Clothing/Shoe Drives, Elementary School Visits to Speak and Read; SEC Together-We-Can Food Drive ... Honor's Program; UGA Charter Scholarship Recipient, given by admissions office annually to students with stellar academic records, leadership and community involvement and respect for and commitment toward intellectual, social and cultural diversity … Made SEC and UGA Athletic Director Honor Roll throughout career … Member of Dean's Student Advisory Board … Graduate this May with Finance degree and has a position with Aon Company in Atlanta starting this summer.
Thomas McCarthy, Kentucky
A finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, McCarthy owns a 3.4 GPA as a psychology major … An infectious personality, McCarthy is a co-captain and a member of the UK's Student Athletic Advisory Council … In the community, McCarthy has been extremely active during his two years in Lexington, including volunteering to mentor and coach children at the Bluegrass Miracle League, a Little League geared for allowing handicapped children the ability to play baseball … He worked as a buddy at the Miracle League, helping provide amazing opportunities for handicapped children, who otherwise would not be given an opportunity to play the game … McCarthy has volunteered to work with the God's Pantry program, packing backpacks for under-privileged elementary children and distributing them at local schools … He has also volunteered to speak at various elementary schools, participated in a bake sale for the Salvation Army and helped raise money for a young girl who was desperately in need of finances for a blood transfusion.
Austin Nola, LSU
Nola, a native of Baton Rouge, has been the leader of the LSU baseball program's outstanding community service effort in 2011-12 ... He participates in children's hospital visits in the Baton Rouge area, meeting with patients and their families while signing autographs, posing for pictures and lifting their spirits ... He visited Baton Rouge schools for “Read Across America” Day, encouraging students to expand their education through reading ... Nola participated in the Walk to Defeat ALS on the LSU campus – the two-mile walk is conducted to raise money and promote awareness of Lou Gehrig's Disease ... He also annually participates in the Halloween “Boozar” at LSU, as he and his teammates distribute candy to children in the Baton Rouge community ... Nola served food to the homeless at Thanksgiving, and he volunteered at the Baton Rouge Food Bank … Nola has also worked as a volunteer with the Miracle League, a non-competitive baseball offering for children with physical or mental disabilities.
Matt Snyder, Ole Miss
Snyder has been very active in the Ole Miss and Oxford communities as a visible contributor to many service projects ... From regular visits to St. Jude Children's Hospital throughout the years to participating in local outreach programs like Reading With The Rebels, Snyder has been very active in the local community ... Snyder has also participated in the SEC “Together We Can” Canned Food Drive and has helped participate in the Rebel Re-Run program to collect athletic shoes for needy youth.
Luis Pollorena, Mississippi State
Participated in the Breakfast of Champions campaign at both Sudduth Elementary School and at Henderson/Ward-Stewart Elementary School, promoting morning nutrition among local youth ... Served as a motivational speaker with the Starkville High School chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ... Took part in the MCT2 Rally encouraging local third graders to perform at a high level on their state tests ... Was an active participant in the MSU M-Club's annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, collecting, packing and distributing food items to families in need in the Starkville area ... Assisted with the M-Club's annual reading campaign, Bully's Book Blitz, encouraging the development of reading skills among local elementary students ... Participant in the Run to Rescue campaign on campus raising awareness of global human trafficking.
Adam Matthews, South Carolina
Participated in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk helping to fund lifesaving research and support for people battling cancer … Has visited Palmetto Health Children's Hospital in Columbia … Participated in public service announcement against drunk driving.
Chris Fritts, Tennessee
Teams & Toys - Helped shop, wrap, and then give gifts for needy children this past holiday season ... Holiday Dinner - Served food, ate, and played games with a group of homeless people in the Knoxville community around Thanksgiving ... Facility Tour- Gave a tour of the baseball and/or athletic facilities to a youth baseball team ... Campus visit - Spoke to and gave a tour to a boy scout troop that visited campus ... Extreme Home Makeover – Participated in the parade and build for an episode of ABC's “Extreme Home Makeover” filmed in Knoxville ... Knoxville Challenger League – Helped the UT baseball team host an evening of games for the Knoxville Challenger League, which allows children with special needs to participate in sporting activities throughout the year.
Connor Harrell, Vanderbilt
Activities include ALS Walk for a Cure, Preston Taylor Ministries Youth Mentor, 2nd Harvest Food Bank Canned Food Drive and Capernaum Ministries for the Mentally Disabled ... Is Monroe Carell Jr. Scholarship Recipient, member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Leadership Council, FCA Nashville Fundraiser Keynote Speaker, Nashville Young Life Leader and active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
