Baseball: Saints exude prowess off the diamond

September 5, 2006

Lacey, WA - In the five years since its inception, one program has dominated the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Academic Awards. That program is Saint Martin’s. The Saints have landed no less then five members on the Academic all-conference team every year and eight players in each of the last two years.

Saints head coach Joe Dominiak stresses that a lot of effort goes into making sure the athletes understand just how important academics are. Whether it’s the fall study tables they are required to attend or the yearly speech they receive. “I tell them that professional baseball is not a real good job. 1550 kids are drafted every year and about two percent actually make it to the majors, that’s 31 total.”

In order to qualify for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must carry a 3.20 grade-point average, participate in at least 50 percent of their team's games, and be in at least their second year of competition at their institution.

The Saints have had eight two-year repeat winners and two three-year repeat winners with every other school in the conference having only one two time winner each and only one school having a single three-year winner.

Even more impressive is that the Saints’ have had the individual with the highest grade point average in the conference every year as well.

 Saints’ pitcher Tip Wonhoff, the conference leader with a 3.92 GPA, explained, “We go out and practice for hours each day. On top of that, we have guys taking 18 credits, working hard to maintain high GPAs in order to further their education at the next level. Our team’s ability to balance these two very demanding tasks year after year reveals much about the character of our players.”

“I contribute all of the success to the athletes,” said Dominiak. “We recruit the type of guys who can play baseball and take care of the academic side as well. We do stress academics; they are something that we keep track of. The players know they have to take care of their grades or they’re not going to play. We put academics first and baseball comes second. It takes a lot of work but once you’ve laid the ground work, the chances for success are that much greater. I know that once their four years here are up and they are done playing baseball they can walk out of here with a degree and with their heads held high.”