May 24, 2013

LEWISTON, Idaho - Embry-Riddle baseball senior Adam Cellini earned the highest Champions of Character award in NAIA baseball in 2013 as the Eagle catcher was named the Hank Burbridge Award winner at the Avista-NAIA World Series opening banquet.

Named after long-time Spring Arbor baseball coach Hank Burbridge, the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association created the Hank Burbridge Champions of Character Award in the spring of 2004 to annually recognize an NAIA baseball player that displays exemplary character and sportsmanship on the field of play, on their campuses and in their communities. In addition, winners of the Burbridge award consistently model the NAIA Champions of Character initiative's five core values.

A native of Marietta, Ga., Cellini transfered to Embry-Riddle after one season at Belmont University, becoming the Blue and Gold's starting catcher as a sophomore. Cellini earned the 2012 Sun Conference baseball Champions of Character award as a junior and was named the Embry-Riddle Communications' Department Senor Student of the Year this past spring. He twice earned Sun Conference Academic All-Conference honors and twice was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete as well as claiming a roster spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team this season before becoming just the program's fourth Academic All-American when he earned third team honors.

"Adam is one of the best embodiments of character I have ever coached," Embry-Riddle Head Coach Randy Stegall said. "He came to Embry-Riddle looking for a fresh start with baseball and will leave with a prestigous degree, three NAIA World Series appearances and the Hank Burbridge Award just to name a few accolades. Adam is what Embry-Riddle as a University, Embry-Riddle as an athletic department and this team is all about."

Embry-Riddle Associate Director of Athletics John Phillips echoed Stegall's remarks: "Adam's leadership both behind the plate and off the field over the last three seasons has been the foundaiton of our team. He's been a perfect fit on the field, in the classroom and in the community. He's the consumate teammate and I can't think of anyone more deserving to win the Hank Burbridge Award."

Not only did Cellini's successes come off the field, but on it as well. Cellini was named a first team All-Sun Conference performer this year after earning Sun Conference Gold Glove honors as a junior. Cellini etched his name into the Embry-Riddle record book by breaking the program's all-time putouts record in 2013 and he finished his career with 979.