Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
BASE | Four Players Receive WCC All-Academic Honors
6/14/2023 2:45:00 PM | Baseball
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball again had multiple players awarded for their combined excellence on the field and in the classroom, with Coleman Schmidt being named to the WCC All-Academic First Team, and Nathan Chong, Blake McDonald, and Bill Ralston receiving Honorable Mention.
Schmidt was the Gaels top power-speed combo this season after tying for the team lead with 16 home runs (second most in a season at SMC) which tied for second in the WCC. He also 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
The Reno, Nev. native hit .274 with a .348 on-base percentage and slugged .568 with a .916 OPS in 2023. He also tied for the team lead in sac flies with six and was second in total bases at 108. The junior had that breakout season on the field while pulling down a 3.733 GPA as a physics major.
Nathan Chong had a .315/.400/.535 triple-slash line, with six home runs and 32 RBI and a .935 OPS in 37 games, only missing time after a suffering a fractured eye socket when hit by a pitch in mid-March versus. Santa Clara.
Chong received his second WCC Player of the Week Award of his career after his big weekend at Gonzaga where he hit .455 with two home runs, two doubles, and five RBI. The junior slugger had a 3.826 GPA and is a business administration major at SMC.
Fellow business administration major, Blake McDonald, had a 3.645 GPA in 2023, while hitting .308 with a .376 OBP and starting 45 games at catcher. He tied for the team lead in triples (3), doubles (10), and sac flies (6).
Bill Ralston finished second on the team in hits with 55, with a .272/.345/.480 triple-slash line and an .825 OPS in his return to Moraga. The Clayton, Calif. native returned as a grad student this season to SMC where he redshirted in 2018, before he went on to play two years of junior college, and then became a two-time, Division II All American at MSU Denver.
He returned home to play some fantastic defense at third base, while producing 31 RBI in 51 games while manning the hot corner for the Gaels. Ralston had a 3.467 GPA while studying Kinesiology in the Saint Mary's Graduate School program.
The WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to his team and in at least their second year at their school.
Schmidt was the Gaels top power-speed combo this season after tying for the team lead with 16 home runs (second most in a season at SMC) which tied for second in the WCC. He also 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
The Reno, Nev. native hit .274 with a .348 on-base percentage and slugged .568 with a .916 OPS in 2023. He also tied for the team lead in sac flies with six and was second in total bases at 108. The junior had that breakout season on the field while pulling down a 3.733 GPA as a physics major.
Nathan Chong had a .315/.400/.535 triple-slash line, with six home runs and 32 RBI and a .935 OPS in 37 games, only missing time after a suffering a fractured eye socket when hit by a pitch in mid-March versus. Santa Clara.
Chong received his second WCC Player of the Week Award of his career after his big weekend at Gonzaga where he hit .455 with two home runs, two doubles, and five RBI. The junior slugger had a 3.826 GPA and is a business administration major at SMC.
Fellow business administration major, Blake McDonald, had a 3.645 GPA in 2023, while hitting .308 with a .376 OBP and starting 45 games at catcher. He tied for the team lead in triples (3), doubles (10), and sac flies (6).
Bill Ralston finished second on the team in hits with 55, with a .272/.345/.480 triple-slash line and an .825 OPS in his return to Moraga. The Clayton, Calif. native returned as a grad student this season to SMC where he redshirted in 2018, before he went on to play two years of junior college, and then became a two-time, Division II All American at MSU Denver.
He returned home to play some fantastic defense at third base, while producing 31 RBI in 51 games while manning the hot corner for the Gaels. Ralston had a 3.467 GPA while studying Kinesiology in the Saint Mary's Graduate School program.
The WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to his team and in at least their second year at their school.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
C/1B
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball3B
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ BaseballBSB | Eric Valenzuela Halftime Interview at MBB vs. Arkansas State
Thursday, November 20
BSB | Saint Mary's Postgame Interview vs. USC
Saturday, May 31
BSB | Saint Mary's Postgame Interview vs. #8 Oregon State
Friday, May 30
BSB | Saint Mary's vs. #8 Oregon State NCAA Regional Highlights
Friday, May 30
