CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - Winthrop baseball player Parker Whittle `24 of West Columbia, South Carolina, is one of two students awarded the annual Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship.
The fellowship program was established by the league in 2005 as a means of recognizing the academic excellence of Big South Conference student-athletes who intend to pursue postgraduate studies upon graduation from a Big South Conference institution.
Bob McCloskey Insurance (BMI), a Big South corporate partner, will award $2,000 to Whittle and Longwood women's cross country/track runner Kiersten Witte to attend graduate school. The two seniors will be honored as part of the conference's annual spring awards dinner banquet at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
"BMI is very proud to continue our support of the Big South Conference and congratulate the winners," said Rob McCloskey, president of BMI. "They are truly deserving, and our best wishes are with them as they move forward to the next phase of life."
About Parker Whittle
Whittle graduated this month with a 3.984 grade point average in earning a bachelor's degree in exercise science. He plans to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of South Carolina.
He led the Eagles with 26 appearances out of the bullpen this season. Whittle has pitched 33.2 innings with a 1.43 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, two saves, three combined shutouts and has held opposing batters to a .252 batting average. He owns an 11-5 career record at Winthrop in 82 appearances, along with five saves, 145 strikeouts and a 9.23 strikes per nine inning ratio in 141.1 innings pitched.
Off the diamond, Whittle has been a two-time selection to the Big South Baseball All-Academic Team. He served as a physical therapy intern at Benchmark Physical Therapy, was a physical therapy aide at The Sigurd Center for Neuro and Ortho Rehab and volunteered as a "Bingocize" senior adult activity leader at the Rock Hill Senior Center.
For more information, contact Brett Redden of Winthrop Athletics at reddenb@winthrop.edu.
