« Baseball 2017

Drew Butler

School
Campbell
Position
Utility
Major
Business Administration

Classroom

Drew Butler is one of the hardest-working student-athletes at Campbell. Not only does he represent his team in a manner that aligns itself with the university’s vision, but he is a voice that his teammates listen to and respect on and off the field. His professors have remarkable comments about his grades and character in the classroom, and his GPA is indicative of this. He carries an outstanding 3.7 GPA while majoring in business administration.

Character

Butler is of the highest character, becoming a leader for the Camels on and off the field. He came to Campbell as a recruited walk-on and saw little time through his first two seasons. Many college athletes would have given up on their current situation in search of greener pastures, but Butler worked harder and remained loyal to the Campbell program. As a junior, Butler became a starter for the Camels, seeing time at third base, second base and in the outfield. This season, he added one more position to his list: catcher. He was asked to catch by his coaches, a position that needed added depth heading into the fall of 2016. Despite not catching since middle school, Butler stepped into the challenge and has started several games behind the plate during his senior season. He took on that role the same way he has throughout his career, when he was limited to mostly pinch running as a freshman, to limited time at second base and third as a sophomore, and to playing multiple positions as a junior and senior. He is serving as a team captain this season, as voted by his teammates.

Community

Even with the demands of a Division I student-athlete, Butler is highly involved in other activities and organizations. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. He is a mentor for the Miracle League, as well as a Pride Mentor for freshman student-athletes, helping first-year Camel athletes navigate their busy schedules. For the last three seasons, Butler has written a blog for College Baseball Daily, narrating the life and the season of a Division I college baseball team. He also played summer league baseball for the Holly Springs Salamanders of the Coastal Plain League.

Competition

Butler has played in over 100 games in a Campbell uniform, but his time came in gradual fashion. He saw time in 23 games as a freshman, mostly as a pinch runner, with only seven at-bats, scoring four times and stealing four bases during the Camels’ 2014 Big South Championship season. A year later, the sophomore played in 24 games and made his first 14 starts. As a junior, he hit .301 as a stalwart in the lineup, ranking second on the team in batting in Big South Conference games at .333. Now as a senior, he is the Camels’ everyday leadoff man, hitting well over .300 again and stealing bases at a record-setting rate. Through late March, the do-it-all Butler leads the nation in stolen bases.