National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association establishes Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has launched a new award recognizing student-athletes who are involved in community service and volunteerism, the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy, with the inaugural recipient to be announced at the NCAA Men’s College World Series in June 2025.

The NCBWA will solicit nominees from college baseball publicists and the organization’s membership, starting in February 2025. Student-athletes who are active in their communities, represent their programs with integrity and excel in on-field roles will be honored among a nine-member finalist group, the Tony Gwynn Community 9 Team, to be determined by a committee in May 2025. The Gwynn Trophy winner will then be selected from those finalists in a vote by NCBWA board members, select college baseball coaches and national media members.

“This is a great moment for collegiate baseball and provides the NCBWA with an elite forum to honor the great work student-athletes are doing in the community,” NCBWA executive director Bo Carter said in a press release. “The Good Works Team and the Danny Wuerffel Trophy have become some of the most coveted awards in college football, and we’ve been looking to find a way to highlight those student-athletes who dedicate so much to their communities. We are thankful to the Gwynn family and honored to be able to spotlight the everlasting impact Tony had on the communities in which he lived and the game we all love.”

A 2007 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Gwynn was nationally recognized throughout his life for his staunch commitment to philanthropy. Along with his wife Alicia, the Gwynns established the Tony Gwynn Foundation to help fund charities supporting children in need, including support of the Casa de Amparo Child Abuse Shelter, as well as the Neighborhood House, YMCA and the Police Athletic League. In 1995, Gwynn earned the Branch Rickey Award as the top community activist in MLB before receiving Roberto Clemente Man of the Year distinction in 1999. He was also enshrined into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame and garnered the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, presented to the MLB player who best exemplified the character and leadership of the Hall of Fame first baseman.

The Gwynn family has maintained Tony’s commitment to the community, including coordination of the Tony Gwynn Community All-Star Program, which recognizes the support of local youth in the San Diego area.

“We are honored to continue Tony's legacy of service through the naming of this award in his honor,” Alicia Gwynn said in the NCBWA’s press release. “Throughout his life, Tony was a man that exuded selflessness and that showed through his commitment to supporting the communities around him. His consistent quest for service and his unyielding love for college baseball make this award a great fit in honoring his legacy. We are excited to shine a spotlight on the young men who represent their schools with such grace and are committed to serving their communities.”

Gwynn served as head coach of the San Diego State baseball program for 12 years (2003-2014) before succumbing to cancer at the age of 54 in June 2014. During his tenure, he directed the Aztecs to three Mountain West championships and a pair of NCAA regional appearances. In just his second season at the helm, Gwynn earned conference Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Aztecs to the league’s regular-season title.

A two-time All-American as an outfielder during his collegiate playing career at SDSU, Gwynn also competed at point guard for the Aztec basketball squad for four seasons and was twice named to the all-Western Athletic Conference team. He remains the only athlete in WAC history to be honored as an all-league performer in two sports.

Among SDSU's all-time greats at his position, Gwynn tied the school record for assists in a game with 18 against UNLV on Feb. 3, 1980. Additionally, he also holds program standards for assists in a season (221) and career (590) and averaged 5.5 helpers per game during his career. His mark of 8.2 assists per game during the 1979-80 campaign is the best ever for an Aztec.

Gwynn spent his entire 20-year major league career with San Diego Padres, playing in 15 All-Star games to go with two World Series appearances. A career .338 hitter, Gwynn won eight batting titles and finished his playing days ranked 17th with 3,141 career hits. He was also slotted ninth all-time in singles (2,378), 17th in doubles (543), and was among the top 75 in runs scored (1,383).

Gwynn was named to the Sporting News Silver Slugger team on seven occasions, the most in Padres history, and landed on that publication's all-league team five times. He won five Rawlings Gold Gloves for defensive excellence and garnered Padre MVP accolades a club-record seven times. Gwynn also collected five National League Player of the Month awards during his career, another Padre best.

Along with his wife, Alicia, Gwynn is survived by his son Tony Jr., and daughter, Anisha Nicole. His brother Chris Gwynn also attended San Diego State and played for the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals. In addition, Tony Jr. played collegiately at SDSU, earning all-MW honors in 2003 before becoming a second-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent eight seasons in the Major Leagues, playing for the Brewers, Padres, Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official web site, www.ncbwa.com.