SAN FRANCISCO - WASHINGTON STATE's Jacob McKeon was named the 2023 Pac-12 Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced Thursday. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline.

McKeon is the first Cougar to earn the award since Collin Slaybaugh in 2014 and is the fifth overall from WSU. 

The senior from Phoenix, Ariz., graduated with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology, earning a 3.95 grade-point average, and has twice been named to the Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll (2021, 2022). McKeon was also named a CSC Academic All-America Second Team selection last spring and was honored as one of WSU's Top Ten graduating seniors, an 80-year tradition in which the university recognizes ten of the top seniors in each graduating class.

McKeon's accomplishments extend to the diamond as the former junior college transfer collected All-Pac-12 Conference honors in back-to-back years (2022, 2023) and finished the 2023 season with a .341 batting average and career highs in runs (52), hits (70), doubles (18), home runs (8) and RBI (47). In three seasons in Pullman, McKeon concludes his career just outside the top-10 in career batting average (.344) and doubles (46).

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12’s 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2007-08 academic year.

ALSO NOMINATED: Tyler Casagrande, Arizona; Owen Cobb, Stanford; Ben Ferrer, Oregon State.

Pac-12 Baseball Scholar-Athletes of the Year
2023 - Jacob McKeon, Washington State
2022 - Alex Williams, Stanford
2021 - Zach Grech, Stanford
2020 - No award
2019 - Mason Cerillo, Washington
2018 - Jack Anderson, Oregon State
2017 - Max Engelbrekt, Oregon State
2016 - Nick Halamandaris, California
2015 - Tyler Davis, Washington
2014 - Collin Slaybaugh, Washington State
2013 - Mark Appel, Stanford
2012 - Andrew Triggs, Stanford
2011 - Chris Metzger, USC
2010 - Matt Fanelli, Washington State
2009 - Greg Lagreid, Washington State
2008 - Jasyon Miller, Washington State