FSCC volleyball, baseball teams post high GPAs

At least two of Fort Scott Community College's athletic programs continue to impress as much in the classroom as they do in competition. The volleyball team has a grade-point average of 3.75 at the end of the fall semester while the baseball team has a GPA of 3.70.

The volleyball team's GPA is the highest since Lindsay Hill became head coach three seasons ago. Last year, the volleyball team was second in the nation among junior college squads in GPA with a 3.60 GPA. They missed out on being the national champion for GPA by a volleyball team by one-one hundredth of a point to Central Nebraska.

"Every year it is our goal to win a National Championship in the classroom," Hill said in a recent press release. "This is a goal that we have under control every day. I am so proud of our team. They worked very hard this past semester and earned every bit of that GPA."

The baseball team, which begins its sixth season under head coach John Hill III in two weeks, had a team GPA over 3.0 for the 11th consecutive semester. Of the team's 28 players, 27 have a GPA over 3.0 and nine have a perfect 4.0. Thirteen others posted a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.

"Our most important goal every year as a team is to win a national championship in the classroom," Hill said. "The last five years we have finished sixth, third, fourth, fourth, and second in the nation in team GPA out of 396 NJCAA baseball programs. We have been very close and we feel we have a legitimate chance this year (to lead the nation in GPA). Additionally, we have had the second- and third-winningest seasons in the history of the program over the last three years and hope to continue our excellence on the field."

The Greyhounds won 42 games in 2011 and 40 in 2013, showing how academic and athletic success can be concurrent.

"The numbers speak for themselves. Our kids, coaches, and instructors deserve a lot of credit for their success," Hill added.

The Greyhound baseball team heads into the spring looking for its fourth consecutive 30-win season and third 40-win season in the last four on February 8 against Southeast Nebraska. A doubleheader that day and the next day, February 9, will be played at Jaycee Ball Park in Pittsburg to take advantage of its artificial-surface infield in case of inclement weather.