RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Thursday, the Great American Conference named Harding’s Cody Smith as its 2022-23 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Smith’s recognition gives Harding four-straight GAC Male Scholar Athlete recipients. Matthew Hipshire won in both 2021 and 2021-22. Mills Bryant earned the honor in 2019-20. Smith becomes the third GAC baseball student-athlete lauded with the award. Former Bison Davis Richardson won in 2014-15 and Arkansas Tech’s Dylan McDearmon won in 2018-19.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering with a 3.97 GPA and a Master of Business Administration in management and business ethics with a perfect 4.00 GPA. He earned Second Team Academic All-America honors to become the first Harding baseball player ever named to multiple Academic All-America teams.
On the diamond, he hit .301 with six home runs and 38 RBI and placed on the GAC All-Defensive Team. He went 19-for-20 on stolen base attempts and set the school’s career record for triples.
Other nominees for the 2022-23 GAC Male Athlete of the Year award included Arkansas Tech’s Jack Grissom (Football), Arkansas-Monticello’s Josh Denton (Basketball), East Central’s Justin Chitty (Baseball), Henderson State’s Greyson Stevens (Baseball), Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Zachary Cox (Cross Country), Oklahoma Baptist’s Jake Hamilton (Baseball), Ouachita Baptist’s G. Allen (Baseball), Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Trent Zorgdrager (Golf), Southern Arkansas’ Briston Rains (Cross Country/Track & Field), Southern Nazarene’s Gage Porter (Football) and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Mason Hart (Basketball). WWW.GREATAMERICANCONFERENCE.COM —
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