#TeamAU
Asbury Athletics Named NCCAA 2023 #KingChasing Institution of the Year
The National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) recently named Asbury University the NCCAA #KingChasing Institution of the Year. Asbury
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics & University Communications Mark Whitworth ’84, and Men’s Basketball Head Coach Will Shouse ’02 received the award on behalf of Asbury at the Annual NCCAA Convention.
The #KingChasing program uses the four values of the Game Plan 4 LIFE – Love, Integrity, Faith, and Excellence – to enhance the purpose of collegiate athletics to be more than winning championships. The mission of the #KingChasing program is to keep Christ at the center of the student-athlete experience.
Joe Crouse Named Asbury Head Golf Coach
The Asbury University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Joe Crouse ’94 as head coach of the Men’s Golf team.
Crouse is a 1994 Asbury graduate with a B.A. in Accounting and is a Certified Management Accountant. While at Asbury, Crouse played on the varsity tennis team and has been playing golf for the better part of his life, currently holding a low, single-digit handicap. He follows Scott Ferguson, who left Asbury to become lead pastor at Harvest Church in McCordsville, Ind.
The AU men’s team returns junior Garrett Sturges
and sophomore João Costa, both reaching early
success in their Asbury golf careers. Sturges, a Business Administration major earned NCCAA All-American honors in each of his first two seasons while tallying eight top-10 finishes. Costa, a sophomore Business Administration major won the Spalding Spring Invitational in his freshman season alongside multiple top-10 finishes.
AU men’s golf made consecutive NCCAA National Championship appearances in the last two seasons after winning the NCCAA National Championship in Palm Coast, Fla., in 2021.
Asbury Team Meeting Room
Formerly the Hospitality Room, the Asbury Athletics Team Meeting Room was recently renovated. Movie theater style risers with seating for 55 student-athletes, large video screens for film, a conference table, and a soft seating area all serve to enhance the Asbury student-athlete experience. The Team Meeting Room is for all athletics teams to gather and for coaches to meet with prospective student-athletes.
Taylor Enlow, Ethan Cartwright, and Brody Bearden Named NCCAA All-Americans
The National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) announced Taylor Enlow ’24 (softball), Ethan Cartwright ’24 (baseball), and Brody Bearden ’26 (baseball) as 2023 First Team All-Americans.
Enlow, a junior for Asbury softball, finished the year tied for first in the NCCAA in doubles (20), seventh in AVG (.477), fourth in SLG (.826), and fourth in OPS (1.329).
In 39 games, Cartwright produced 53 hits, 35 RBIs, 38 runs scored, seven doubles, three triples, and four home runs. Cartwright was also earlier named the 2023 NCCAA Mideast Region Player of the Year, Asbury’s second in a row after Walker Paris ’02 took the award in 2022.
Bearden, a freshman right-handed pitcher for Asbury baseball, opened his AU career with five wins in seven starts, an impressive 3.86 ERA, and was named 2023 NCCAA Mideast Region Pitcher of the Year.
Asbury Announces 37 Graduating Scholar-Athletes
TeamAU announced 37 graduating Scholar-Athletes, representing more than 10 percent of the 2023 class. To be eligible for this honor, student-athletes must have maintained an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher during their undergraduate studies. The group was honored with a commemorative AU Scholar-Athlete lapel pin, received in time to wear at Commencement.
Asbury Athletics Earns 3.48 GPA in 2023 Spring Semester
Asbury Athletics announced a combined department GPA of 3.48 for the 2023 spring semester. In total, 212 Asbury student-athletes earned Honor Roll status (3.25 or above semester GPA) while 149 achieved the status of Scholar- Athletes (3.5 cumulative GPA following the semester).
Also, 55 Asbury student-athletes earned NCCAA Scholar-Athlete status for the 2022-23 school year, maintaining a cumulative 3.40 or higher. Asbury baseball represented nine NCCAA Scholar-Athletes for the 2023 season. The NCCAA highlighted three Asbury softball players as Scholar-Athletes alongside four AU men’s and women’s tennis players and an Asbury track and field member.
#TeamAU Golf Experience
Asbury Athletics will host the 2023 TeamAU Golf Experience on Monday, Oct. 23, at Champion Trace Golf Course in Nicholasville, Ky.
The TeamAU Golf Experience is an amazing opportunity
for Asbury student-athletes and supporters to connect in fellowship. All event proceeds help fund special projects that enhance the experience for our student-athletes at AU.
Register at www.asburycommunity.org/events/golf-experience.
How to Follow Asbury Athletics
For the latest information on Asbury Athletics follow us @asburyeagles on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or visit asburyeagles.com.
Watch all of our TeamAU home games live on Asbury Sports Digital Network (asburysportsdigitalnetwork.com)