DALLAS (NCBWA) – Malcolm Gray, a regular staff member at the NCAA Baseball World Series, longtime NCBWA officer/board member and president of NCBWA in 2016-17, has been chosen as the 46th recipient of the prestigious Wilbur Snypp Award, presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for outstanding contributions to college baseball.
Vital to the organization as co-editor of the annual NCBWA directory with Liberty's Ryan Bomberger, compiler of all-star teams and NCBWA Top 30 poll voter, Gray is a 1996 graduate of East Carolina and has worked as baseball publicist for the Pirates, secondary football media contact and ECU golf contact for 21 years.
He works daily with Pirates head baseball coach Cliff Godwin, ECU players and assistant coaches while serving as the primary day-to-day liaison with the media. He coordinates interviews, oversees production of baseball publications, is press box supervisor, and assists with various other baseball publicity items, game-day operations, and numerous other aspects of the baseball program in the media relations' realm.
His media services operation at Clark-LeClair Stadium has been recognized and lauded by national publications and regional sports information outlets. The Greenville, N.C., native also worked as a summer press officer with USA Baseball, which included stints with the 2010 Collegiate National Team that finished with a 16-3 overall record and a second place finish at the V FISU World University Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
In 2011, he ran the press services at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., for the Tournament of Stars and 18U National Team Trials, which captured gold at the COPABE 18U/ AAA Pan American Championships in Cartagena, Colombia. During two summers, Gray worked with Major League Baseball's Advanced Media and the United States Olympic Committee while serving as the primary day-to-day liaison with the media.
Gray had many memories of days on the diamond and in the press boxes after learning of this honor.
"I'm very humbled and honored to be selected for such a prestigious award as the Wilbur Snypp," Gray stated. "As the national pastime, baseball has given me more than I could every repay. Being a Greenville native, I grew up watching East Carolina baseball essentially in my own back yard and I never thought I would have the opportunity to work at my alma mater and interact with so many amazing coaches, student-athletes, colleagues and media in the communications field. It has been a privilege to work with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in promoting such a great game and I thank them for allowing me to serve this great organization."
"Honestly, it is hard to describe the many ways that Malcolm Gray has been an advocate and true friend to college baseball for three decades," said NCBWA executive director Bo Carter. "He is very deserving of this top honor from the NCBWA, and he has worked with hundreds of baseball coaches, student-athletes, media members, and sports communications professionals with true class and a willingness to assist in any way possible. Congratulations to Malcolm for this well-deserved award."
Gray is the latest to join the ranks of Wilbur Snypp Award winners, national journalists and college administrators as the 2019 winner. The honor memorializes longtime Ohio State sports information director and NCBWA founder, the late Wilbur (Bill) Snypp. Snypp was a noted contributor to the writers' organization, which was initiated in 1962, as well as an officer in the group. The Wilbur Snypp Award yearly honors a professional for contributions to the sport of college baseball. Voting is conducted by a panel of previous winners, who include past NCAA College World Series directors, College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame members, decorated media members, and others.