HONOLULU--The
Westmont College baseball team has been chosen as the 2025-26 Pacific West Conference men's Team Community Engagement Award winner, announced today (August 5) at the annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee retreat at Chaminade University.
The
Hawai`i Hilo women's soccer team is the women's Team Community Engagement Award winner (read their story tomorrow).
Concordia's SAAC program is the PacWest SAAC Community Engagement Award winner, and they were also honored with the NCAA Division II Team IMPACT award. Read their story
here.
The Westmont baseball team had over 100 hours of community service work this past year. They partnered with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organizaton who connects children facing disabilities or serious illness with college sports teams. They made Jed, a 15-year-old with down syndrome, part of their team. Jed attended many Warrior practices and games and was considered part of the program. Players played basketball with him and took him surfing on their own time.
The Warriors participated in "High Five Friday's" with other Westmont teams, cheering on elementary students as they came to school on Friday morning. They also volunteered to work at the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon, served in the parking lot at campus graduation and helped freshman students move into their dorms at the beginning of the semester. They also passed out Bibles and scripture bracelets in the community and offered prayer.
"If you asked anyone on campus who they should count on if they need a helping hand, it is likely that they would respond "the baseball team,'" said Westmont Assistant Athletic Director for Operations
Jillian Heckman. "The baseball team has built a culture where serving others is not just an expectation but an integral part of their identity."
The baseball team is loud and supportive at other Westmont sporting events. They help Conference Services set up and break down during campus events.
"The baseball team sets the bar in our department for how we want our athletes to engage in the community and serve those around them," Heckman added. "The team is relentless in their approach to this identity and they live it out every day."