Howie receives prestigious collegiate Scholar-Athlete award

Ontario Blue Jays alum and Eastern Kentucky University outfielder Nick Howie (Oakville, Ont.) is one of six individuals to receive the prestigious OVC Scholar-Athlete Award for 2019-20. Photo: Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

December 10, 2019

Official Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Press Release

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The highest Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) individual academic/athletic honour has been awarded to senior baseball student-athlete Nick Howie.

Howie is one of six individuals to receive the prestigious OVC Scholar-Athlete Award for 2019-20. The Oakville, Ontario native has a 4.0 grade-point-average while majoring in finance.

The award is the highest individual honour that can be earned by OVC student-athletes, and is given annually to three men and three women of junior or senior status for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.

The six winners were selected from a group of 19 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.25 GPA and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2018-19 academic year.

In addition to his perfect grade-point-average, Howie's other academic accomplishments include earning the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, and being named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and EKU's Dean's List multiple times. Howie was selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018 (third-team) and 2019 (first-team).

Howie is in his fourth year with the Eastern Kentucky baseball team where he has played in 137 career games. Over his first three seasons he was named to the OVC All-Rookie Team (2017), the All-OVC second-team (2018) and All-OVC first-team (2019). Last season, the outfielder was third in the OVC with a .474 on-base percentage, third with 46 walks, fifth with a .353 average and tied for fifth with 16 stolen bases. He ranked 43rd in the nation in walks and 47th in on-base percentage.

Howie is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and works as a tutor for pre-core business classes. Away from school he has been active with Samaritan's Feet, Habitat for Humanity, Richmond Little League, the Richmond YMCA and Richmond Kids' Fest.