Preston Mott Named CCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year
UC San Diego senior baseball player Preston Mott is adding yet another feather to his collegiate cap, adding distinguished recognition as the 2018-19 CCAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year to his impressive resume in the classroom, in the community and on the diamond.
Mott graduated from the Tritons with a bachelor of science in pharmacological chemistry with a minor in business, crossing the stage this past weekend with nearly perfect marks in the classroom throughout his rigorous course of study.
"Preston is a standout student-athlete who I have had the pleasure of coaching for four seasons," remarked UC San Diego head coach Eric Newman. "He helped lead the team to three straight NCAA West Region titles, and has also mentored younger student-athletes in his role as team captain. He has been recognized on an institutional, conference, regional and national level.
"Preston has very successfully balanced his rigorous academics and athletics schedule. He also served as an athletics department chemistry tutor during the 2017-18 academic year. I have no doubt that he will be a great contributor in his future field of biotechnology and pharmaceutical development."
Mott became a first-time Google Cloud Academic All-American, making the second team after a third straight Academic All-District 8 First Team selection. He as been tapped with recognition in the annual CCAA All-Academic awards three times with two CCAA Spring All-Academic Team selections with the 2019 team still being compiled.
Athletically, Mott was a unanimous All-West Region Second Team choice by all three award entities in NCAA Division II baseball as both a junior and senior. He was voted to the 2019 All-CCAA Second Team after being a 2018 first-teamer.
In 2019, Mott went 9-1 with a 2.51 ERA over 15 appearances, 12 of them starts. He led the Tritons in ERA and strikeouts (68), and was second in wins, starts and innings pitched (79.0), with batters hitting just .226 against him. The left-hander out of Clovis leaves the program at No. 6 in the record book in wins (27), fifth in strikeouts (234) and seventh in innings (308.0). He is also second in the Division II era of the Tritons’ program with his 55 career starts.
Mott’s final outing in a Tritons uniform was a gem, combining on a four-hit, 5-0 shutout of No. 11 Catawba (NC) in UC San Diego's first game of the NCAA Championship in Cary, N.C., to open the month as UC San Diego participated in the NCAA Championship final site for the third-straight season.
In the community, Mott has been actively involved in the UC San Diego baseball program's ongoing affiliation with Vs. Cancer Foundation. The signature fundraising campaign of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the money raised through Vs. Cancer helps fund child life programs in local hospitals and raises awareness for kids with cancer.
Mott is currently applying for jobs in the biotechnology industry. He plans to do research in pharmaceutical development, and contribute to the quality of living by improving and innovating new drugs. Parents Mike and Chi are both pharmacists.
“Preston is truly one of our best examples of a scholar-athlete, who has achieved at the highest levels both in competition and in the classroom,” noted Deputy Director of Athletics and baseball sport administrator Wendy Taylor May. “We as a department are incredibly proud of all of his accomplishments, and look forward to seeing what Preston’s bright future has in store for him.”
To be nominated for the CCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, individuals must have a 3.5 grade-point average or higher at Conference institution, completed their final season of eligibility and participated in a CCAA-sponsored sport. The award is voted on and selected by the Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) from the Conference’s 13-member institutions.
Annual CCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees >>>