Linfield College baseball pitcher
Carter Buuck has been named to the Google Cloud Division III Academic All-District Team, honoring excellence on the diamond and in the classroom. The annual Academic All-District awards are nominated and selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
A senior majoring in biology, Buuck maintains a 3.88 grade point average. After he graduates later this month, Buuck intends to pursue a position as a scribe at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland. With plans of attending medical school on the horizon, he hopes to one day become a physician in the Portland area to remain close to his family.
"Carter is certainly a 'student-athlete,'" said Linfield baseball coach
Stan Manley. "He really takes care of business in classroom and his grades reflect that. His professors speak highly of his participation in class as well as his academic prowess. They say he's a great young man to have in class."
On the baseball field, Buuck demonstrated a commitment to leadership as a team co-captain. "He brings a lot of energy to our baseball team. As a pitcher, that's really necessary, especially when you're only pitching once a week," noted Manley. "Carter's been a great influence on our recruiting when we brought recruits to campus who were interested in the medical field."
Graduating from Valley Catholic High School in 2015, Buuck matriculated to Concordia University in Wisconsin where he played baseball for one year before transferring to Linfield.
As a Wildcat, the Hillsboro, Oregon, native spent two up-and-down seasons as a part-time starter before catching fire at the 2017 Northwest Conference Tournament. It was there he helped the Wildcats win the tournament title and secure an NCAA regional playoff berth.
Armed with a new level of confidence, Buuck's senior season on the mound proved exceptional. In 13 pitching appearances, he posted a 7-3 win-loss record that included two shutouts. Buuck charted a 3.58 earned run average while striking out 48 batters and walking 37. He seven victories were the second-most among Northwest Conference pitchers.
Linfield provided Buuck just what he was seeking academically and athletically in a college, according to Manley.
"Carter felt the Linfield experience gave him the opportunity to potentially become a doctor," said Manley. "The small-school atmosphere that Linfield offers helped him along through school. The one-on-one relationships he established with his professors really enabled him excel."
