Dear Friends of Tribe Athletics,

Our baseball season may be over, but Tribe ballplayers are still making headlines!  

Ben Williamson '23, pictured below, is the starting third baseman for the Seattle Mariners after just 150 minor league games!  He lined a changeup through the left side for a hit in his first MLB plate appearance, and family and former teammates were there to cheer him on and take possession of that precious baseball. Through his first 52 games, mainly in the No. 8 spot, Williamson was batting .253 with a home run and 13 RBI. His .983 fielding percentage was the highest among American League third basemen. Tribe Scribe Dave Johnson has a terrific article about Ben's metoric rise through the minors to The Show.

Another Ben is also making news. Just a few days ago, outfielder Ben Parker '25 added to his impressive list of accolades when he was recognized as an ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American. Ben was the CAA Co-Player of the Year, First Team All-CAA Selection, and First Team All-Atlantic Region honoree. He led the Tribe with a .407 batting average, 70 runs, 94 hits, and 23 doubles, adding 11 home runs and 50 RBI.

Speaking of slugging, Michael Brown '03 has returned to the school as associate athletic director for advancement. He fashioned a Hall of Fame career as an outfielder and hitting machine in his playing days.  Michael earned national accolades in 2003 when he batted .423 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI and earned All-America recognition. He still holds the program's career record for home runs (50), RBI (204) and total bases (507), while his 288 career hits are second.  Welcome back, Michael!

Nearing the Finish Line!

As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30, we're also getting closer to reaching this year's $6 million fundraising goal.
There's still time to make a meaningful impact on W&M Athletics by giving to the Athletics Impact Fundor supporting the sport that matters most to you. Your contributions help ensure our student-athletes thrive — both in the classroom and in competition. Thank you for being as generous as possible.

A Big Ask

Speaking of having an impact, there's another opportunity for you to really help the Tribe as W&M positions itself for the future. Athletics wants to contribute in a meaningful way to heighten the school's national preeminence and your bold and creative ideas will help us do just that. 

We've developed a survey for you to give us your thoughts on how Athletics might enhance W&M's reputation and standing in the marketplace. There are eight open-ended questions, and you don't have to answer all of them.  

The key is to think BIG and share your thoughts by Thursday, July 3rd, on how Athletics might impact the future of our beloved University.  All ideas are welcome and thank you again for your loyalty, love and support for the Green & Gold. I can't wait to see your suggestions!
 
Notable

• Men's swimmer Brock Rempe, pictured below, is a recipient of the CAA Leadership & Excellence Award for the 2024-25 academic year. He was voted to the Tribe swimming leadership committee by his teammates and excelled in the classroom, earning the William & Mary Provost Award with a 3.75 GPA in finance. He was one of eight Tribe swimmers named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, in addition to his CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll selection.

• Will Glass of Men's Swimming and Bridget Lawn of Field Hockey were chosen to represent W&M at the CAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Leadership Summit.
• Bella Nascimento '25, after her great run in the CAA and NCAA women's basketball tournaments, is keeping it going. She made the final roster for Brazil's FIBA Women's AmeriCup roster!
• Numerous Tribe student-athletes were recipients of College Sports Communicators honors;
  • Mark Fu, Jonathan Irwin, and Evan Sikra of Men's Gymnastics were named to the At-Large Academic All-District Team.
  • Four Lacrosse standouts, Kate Draddy, Anna Dawson, Claire Doto and Finley Hoffman, were selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) At-Large Academic All-District Team.
  • Pyper Friedman and Kellen Richbourg of Field Hockey were selected to the Academic All-District Team.
  • Golfers Logan Hunter and Max Johnson earned At-Large College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.
• Congratulations to former Tribe basketball player Daniel Dixon, pictured below, who is an assistant coach with the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder

A Basketball Night Out

Women's Basketball is planning a cool outing that we'd love you to be a part of! The team heads to Washington, D.C.'s CareFirst Arena on July 31 for a 7:30 p.m. game between the Washington Mystics and the Golden State Valkyries. The Valkyries have a very familiar face on their sidelines – former Tribe assistant coach Sugar Rodgers! I can't think of a better way to beat the heat and enjoy some great hoops at the same time. Grab your tickets today and sit with fellow W&M fans as we enjoy a great game together!

Go, Tribe!

Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics