Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior catcher Logan McNeely wraps up his illustrious Wingate career with a huge honor, being named the 2022 South Atlantic Conference baseball Scholar-Athlete. The SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

"I would like to congratulate Logan on being recognized as the SAC Scholar-Athlete," head coach Jeff Gregory says. "I believe that Logan is a great example that you can be successful in both the classroom and in the athletic arena. He has achieved at the highest of standards during his career. This award continues to support what he has accomplished over his time as a student athlete at Wingate University. His commitment to both his academic and athletic career has been second to none. I am proud of him for having his hard work recognized and I know that everyone who has been around Logan is genuinely thrilled for him."

McNeely is Wingate's seventh SAC Scholar-Athlete of the 2021-22 year and 95th all-time, both of which lead the league. He is the third Bulldog baseball player to win the coveted award and first since Seth Howell in 2006. Frank Landefeld was the first Wingate baseball player to earn the honor in 1993.

McNeely earned first team All-SAC honors for the Bulldogs in 2022, leading the defending national champions to a 48-10 season and a 21-2 record in league play, capturing the regular season SAC title and advancing to the final day of the NCAA Southeast Regionals. Wingate earned regional hosting duties for the first time in league history in 2022. The 48 wins are a program record and second-most in league history. The 2022 season is also good for the second-best winning percentage in conference history. The 'Dogs went 87-23 over the last two seasons, capturing a SAC regular season title, SAC Tournament championship, NCAA Southeast Region title and a national championship. Wingate spent the entire regular season in 2022 as the #1 or #2 ranked team in the country.

McNeely hit .358 in his final season as a Bulldog, collecting 10 doubles, five homers and 44 RBI while scoring 57 runs. He was also a rock behind the plate, earning All-SAC Defensive team honors as a catcher. McNeely posted a .452 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage in 2022, registering 19 multi-hit games including six games with three hits. He also drove in multiple runs 14 times, good for second on the team. McNeely ranked in the top four on the team in batting average, on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBI, homers and total bases.

McNeely's 2022 season backed up an incredible 2021 campaign, which culminated in him being named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2021 Division II National Championships. He hit .359 in 2021 with 17 doubles, four homers and 50 RBI. In Wingate's last nine NCAA Tournament games, McNeely went 18-for-36 at the plate, collecting multiple hits in six of those contests including a three-hit and four-hit performance while driving in 11 runs and scoring nine times. He had a hit in every game of the D2 World Series, leading all players in Cary with 12 hits. He drove in a pair of runs in the semifinal win over Angelo State, while also collecting two RBI in the national title game. Over his final two seasons, McNeely hit .359 in 89 games, piling up 118 hits including 27 doubles, two triples and nine homers, driving in 94 runs and scoring 91 times.

McNeely graduated with a 3.690 GPA, majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Biology. He has been named to the Wingate President's List and Dean's list multiple times in his career. He ahs also been named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll every year of his Bulldog career. McNeely has spent this past year in Wingate's MBA program. He has been admitted into Wingate's Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where he will begin in January of 2023.

McNeely has had a huge impact in his community, spending time as a tutor in Anatomy and Physiology while also volunteering at the American Legion World Series in Shelby. McNeely has served as a volunteer at his grandparents' church, giving out meals to families. He has volunteered with Wingate baseball at Unionville Elementary School, while also volunteering at Wingate's fall baseball camp, working with catchers. McNeely helped create a vide geared to elementary school students school success at the NCAA Division II World Series. A member of Wingate's Physical Therapy Club throughout his time at Wingate, McNeely has also volunteered at the majority of Carolina Panthers games to help raise money for the Bulldog baseball program.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.