WACO, Texas (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has established a new award honoring student-athletes who are active in service and volunteerism in their communities and will honor nine finalists as part of a Tony Gwynn Community 9 Team in May 2025. A winner selected from the nine finalists will be dubbed the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy honoree and announced during the Men’s College World Series in June.
“This is a great moment for collegiate baseball and provides the NCBWA with an elite forum to honor the great work student-athletes are doing in the community,” NCBWA Executive Director Bo Carter said. “The Good Works Team and the Danny Wuerffel Trophy have become some of the most coveted awards in college football, and we’ve been looking to find a way to highlight those student-athletes who dedicate so much to their communities. We are thankful to the Gwynn Family and honored to be able to spotlight the everlasting impact Tony had on the communities in which he lived and the game we all love.”
Nominees will be solicited in February through college baseball publicists and the NCBWA membership. Student-athletes who are active in their communities, represent their programs with integrity and excel in on-field roles will be honored among a nine-member finalist group, which will be selected by a committee. The Gwynn Trophy winner will be picked from those finalists in a vote by NCBWA board members, select college baseball coaches and national media members.
"We are honored to continue Tony's legacy of service through the naming of this award in his honor," his wife, Alicia Gwynn, said. "Throughout his life, Tony was a man that exuded selflessness and that showed through his commitment to supporting the communities around him. His consistent quest for service and his unyielding love for college baseball make this award a great fit in honoring his legacy. We are excited to shine a spotlight on the young men who represent their schools with such grace and are committed to serving their communities."
Gwynn was nationally recognized throughout his life for his unyielding commitment to philanthropy. He and Alicia, established the Tony Gwynn Foundation to help fund charities supporting children in need, including supporting the Casa de Amparo Child Abuse Shelter, the Neighborhood House, YMCA and the Police Athletic League. In 1995, Tony earned the Branch Rickey Award as the top community activist in MLB and in 1999 he was named the Roberto Clemente Man of the year. He was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame and won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, presented to the MLB player who best exemplified the character and leadership of the Hall of Fame first baseman.
The Gwynn family has maintained Tony’s commitment to the community, including coordinating the Tony Gwynn Community All-Star Program, which recognizes local youth who support the San Diego community.
Gwynn was a 15-time MLB All-Star, won eight batting titles – the most in National League history – and finished his decorated 20-year career with a .338 batting average. He played his entire career with the San Diego Padres, after playing collegiately at San Diego State, where he also played basketball. A 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, Gwynn saw the SDSU baseball facility named in his honor, Tony Gwynn Stadium, and served as the head coach of the Aztecs, from 2003-14, winning three Mountain West Conference Championships and earning 2014 Mountain West Coach of the Year honors. The Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament, held each February at Gwynn Stadium and featuring some of the top teams in the nation, has quickly become one of the best nonconference, early-season tournaments in the college baseball calendar.
Gwynn passed away in 2014 after a long bout with cancer. He is survived by Alicia, son Tony Jr., and daughter, Anisha Nicole. His brother Chris attended SDSU and played for the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals. Tony Jr. also played collegiately at SDSU, earning all-league honors in 2003 before the Milwaukee Brewers drafted him in the second round. He played eight seasons in MLB, including time with the Brewers, Padres, Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.