Matt Parrish

Classroom

Matt Parrish is a well-rounded student-athlete who diligently focuses on his academic and athletic demands. He demonstrates leadership and character on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Parrish has a 3.75 grade-point average as a mathematics major with minors in science and psychology, and he plans to attend medical school. Not only does Parrish take care of his own academic responsibilities, but also he encourages his teammates to do the same. He has served as a mentor for freshmen student-athletes by checking in with how they are adjusting to college life as a college student-athlete and teaching them how to be independent. Parrish has had outstanding relationships with his professors, classmates and peers at Campbell University. He enjoys meeting and really getting to know the people in his classes, and he participates in different organizations and clubs around campus as well as being an advocate for the Campbell baseball program. He inspires his teammates, he enriches his classmates, and he challenges the faculty and staff to be the best they can be.

Character

Parrish is a leader, a role model for his teammates and community and an involved student who happens to also be a two-time Academic All-American and all-conference baseball player. Going from walk-on to All-American takes more than just talent and hard work. It takes strong character and personal accountability. His interactions with kids at church events, local festivals and baseball clinics demonstrates the kind of person who wants to make a difference in someone else’s life. He is a model student-athlete who leads by example on the baseball team by doing things the right way like getting up early, having a positive attitude and having a contagious smile on his face throughout the day. He manages his time wisely and holds his teammates accountable for their time, actions and attitudes on the baseball field and around campus.

Community

Parrish enjoys helping others above himself. He strives to make others better and make the community a happier place to be. He has invested many hours in serving as a peer mentor and academic tutor. He enjoys helping people succeed in the classroom and develop leadership skills. He assisted in identifying the learning styles of his peers and aided them in developing strategies to study and improve their testing techniques.

One of Parrish’s strengths is helping people feel comfortable and at ease. He has participated in the Miracle League for the last four years, and one of his favorite events of the year was playing a game with the kids and seeing the smiles on their faces as they interacted with the CU baseball team. He has volunteered at local festivals, blood drives and collecting food for the local community. In addition to the many other activities, Parrish has helped organize, train and lead baseball clinics the past few years at Campbell University. He has developed the stations the kids go to, coordinated volunteers and assigned campers to their respective leaders. He loves being able to see kids pick up a baseball, play catch and learn how to make contact with a ball for the very first time. Parrish truly is a senior leader in all aspects.

Competition

Parrish epitomizes the student-athlete. He came to Campbell as a recruited walk-on, and in his freshman season, saw only five plate appearances, playing in 12 games total. Through determination and hard work, he earned the starting designated hitter role a quarter of the way through his sophomore season. His playing time increased dramatically, and he made the most of his new opportunity, leading the team in batting average that season at .324. That team went on to win the Big South Tournament Championship and earn the school its first NCAA berth since 1990. That was also the first of his two CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, earning third-team honors in 2014 before taking second-team accolades as a junior. Parrish added an all-conference award to his collection as a junior as well, taking second-team All-Big South honors. That three-year span really showed what he is as a competitor. Adding to that, this season he has been asked to be an option as a first baseman, a position he has played just once in his collegiate career, embracing the challenge of another new role. He is a true competitor and a senior leader.