BHS, BC product Pennington named top JC scholar athlete
BY JEFF EVANS Californian staff writer [email protected]
David Pennington was a pretty special baseball player at Bakersfield College during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
He was even more special off the field.
Pennington, now playing baseball and attending school at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, has been selected the 2011 California Community College Athletic Association Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
BC's baseball team was also chosen as a 2011 CCCAA Scholar Team Recipient.
Pennington, a Bakersfield High graduate, earned the highest honor the state issues among the approximate 27,000 who compete in community college athletics state-wide.
"It's a three-prong award," BC coach Tim Painton said Thursday. "Academics, athletics and community service."
Pennington had a 3.86 grade point average at BC, where he was named all-academic for the Western State Conference in 2010 and all-academic for the state in 2011.
As a player he was a second-team All-WSC pick as a freshman when he hit .336 in conference player and .288 overall. As a sophomore in 2011, he was a first-team All-WSC infielder when he batted .358 overall and .380 in conference play.
He was chosen by his teammates as the team's most valuable player and gold glove winner.
His community service includes being a co-leader for two years of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and he was a Bible study leader for athletes from all sports at BC.
Away from campus Pennington was the founder of Downtown Homeless Dugout, where a small group of college students would provide friendship and companionship for those living on the streets, and he would help obtain coats, clothing, snacks, tooth brushes, tooth paste and deodorant for distribution to the homeless.
He also volunteered for an elementary school reading program, he would mentor disadvantaged children to help them make good decisions in their lives and was a founder of the group "Pancakes and Prayer," an organized Bible study that provided a safe environment for college students to meet and socialize. He was also a volunteer at Canyon Hills Church for its college group.
The BC team scholar award honors a squad with a 3.421 cumulative grade point average, with 16 of the 24 team members having at least a 3.0 GPA. Seven had GPAs of 3.8 or higher.
BC went 19-17 last season, including 11-10 in WSC play. The team lost a share of a WSC title on the final day of the season.
The team also held two free baseball clinics for youth league players, participated in classroom reading with elementary sudents and raised $50,000 through various fundraising activities such as Christmas tree sales, a casino night and a golf tournament/dinner.
The state will honor Pennington and the BC baseball team on April 4 in San Mateo. That same night, ex-BC pitcher George Culver will be inducted into the CCCAA Hall of Fame.
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