Whitman College senior baseball player Julien Hernandez has been selected as the Northwest Conference Athlete of the Year for a men’s team, the conference announced Tuesday.
The Northwest Conference Athlete of the Year award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter from their individual institution and have earned their undergraduate degree by summer 2024.
“I am honored to receive this award. Thank you to all of my coaches, teammates, staff, and school administrations that have made my time wearing a Whitman Baseball uniform truly exceptional. Thank you to my parents, friends, and professors for supporting me and encouraging me to excel on the field and in the classroom. I will forever be grateful for my time at Whitman College and being a DIII student athlete”, said Hernandez.
A native to Palo Alto, California, Hernandez studied Biology and Environmental Studies. He is a two-time Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Year and was recognized on the All-NWC First Team as a starting pitcher in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2024 Hernandez was recognized on the ABCA/Rawlings All Region 10 First Team and the D3baseball.com All Region 10 Third Team, he was recognized as a starting pitcher on both lists. Hernandez helped lead the Whitman Blues to their first regular season NWC title since 1952 and was awarded the Borleske Award for Outstanding Senior Male Student-Athlete at Whitman College.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Hernandez was a representative for the baseball team on Whitman’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) from 2021-2023. For the 2023-24 academic year, Hernandez served on Whitman’s SAAC executive committee and worked to enhance the student-athlete experience by increasing the social media presence for Whitman SAAC and WhitCity Instagram accounts. In his time on the executive committee, he promoted athletic events, games, and awards and worked to plan the end of year awards banquet for all athletic teams.
Hernandez will be using his final year of eligibility in baseball at the University of Oregon as he pursues a Master’s in Public Administration.