Under the direction of Chris Wido, Morton College's baseball team checks all the boxes for operating a successful program.

Winning record – the Panthers are 129-96 in Wido's four seasons as head coach.
Sending players to four-year schools – 44 Panthers have gone on to the next level.
Success in the classroom – the Panthers were named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for the second straight season.

The Panthers achieved a team grade-point average of 3.22. It helps to have 11 NJCAA All-Academic players in the program with two Panthers on the First Team, three on the Second Team and six on the Third Team.

David Garza and Ethan Jordan earned First Team honors, which are reserved for those with a 4.0 GPA. Drew Clemmer, Will Lewis and Jack Roessler pulled down Second Team accolades, available to those with a GPA between 3.8 and 3.99.
Third Team honors went to Daniel Basalone, Denham Kozy, Jack McGlynn, Jake Tyler, Taylor Voorhees and Austin Zernia. They all had a GPA between 3.6 and 3.79.

"This award is a testament to all the hard work our players have put into their education, and the pride they take in their academics," Wido said. "Within our program, we value the academic achievements just as much, if not more, than any of our achievements on the field. We stress the importance of academic success from day one and I am very proud of our players for buying into that message.

"I am a big believer in the importance of getting an education, so if we are not setting our players up for success in life after baseball, then we are not doing our job as a college coaching staff."