Bethel Athletics-Year in Review

The 2022-23 sports seasons at Bethel were again noteworthy with several teams seeing postseason action. Off the playing fields and courts, a substantial number of student-athletes excelled in the classroom. As always, a considerable number were named to all-conference teams. Several students were selected on All-American squads while some signed professional contracts after leaving Bethel.

Women's Basketball finished with a record of 13-16 but the Lady Wildcats won five of their last seven games. Bethel lost in the opening round of the MSC Championships. One player was named to the all-conference second team and another received honorable mention. Four Lady Wildcats were named to the MSC All-Academic team.

Women's Bowling had one top ten finish this year. One player was named to the second team All-MSC squad. Seven were named as MSC All-Academic selections. Four players earned NAIA All-Scholar Awards.

Women's Golf had eleven top ten finishes. The squad had four top five finishes.

Women's Soccer finished 7-7-4 on the season. Two Lady Cats were named to the MSC Honorable Mention team. Ten players were named to the MSC All-Academic squad. Nine were named NAIA All-Scholars.

Nine softball players were named to the MSC All-Academic team. The Cats finished 21-21 on the season. Maria Murdaugh was a first team all-conference selection. One player was a second team selection while two were honorable mention. Nine softball players were named NAIA Scholars.

Women's Swimming was competitive in every match this season and showed improvement throughout the year. One earned conference all-academic status.

Women's Cross Country had another solid season. Andrea De La Rosa won the conference title and was named MSC Runner of the Year. The senior from Brownsville, Texas again qualified for the nationals and finished 40^th in the nation and was named an NAIA All-American. Five runners made the conference all-academic team. Four runners were named NAIA All-Scholars.

Women's Tennis had a solid year finishing 10-10 on the season. Edisa Hot was named to the MSC First Team. One player was named to the second team while one earned honorable mention status. Seven Lady Cats earned conference all-academic awards. Six were named NAIA-All-Scholars.

Women's Track and Field had six to earn conference all-academic status. Four students earned NAIA Scholar status.

Volleyball had a good year sporting a 22-10 mark. The Lady Cats placed nine members on the conference all-academic team. Hannah McGowan and Nayeli Vilchez were named to the MSC 1^st team. One player was named to the honorable mention team. Hannah completed her career at Bethel as the all-time program leader in kills with 1,966. McGowan had 496 kills this past season and was named to the Mid-South Conference 1^st team all-conference squad. McGowan was named MSC Player of the Week three times during the season.

The No. 4 Bethel University Wildcat football squad became the first Bethel team in modern day program history to win 11 games in a season and be undefeated at that mark. The 2018 squad was 10-0 during the regular season. Bethel's longest winning streaks prior to this year had been 10 in a row in 2007 and 2018. The Wildcats fell in the opening round of the 2022 NAIA Championships. Eleven Wildcats were named to the all-conference team. Four Cats were selected to the second team all-conference. For the complete list, visit https://bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/2022-23/releases/20221117hick6p  Fifteen players earned conference all-academic awards. Ten Wildcats earned NAIA All-Scholar Awards. Six Wildcats have signed or been invited for tryouts to play professional ball. Coach Michael Jasper was named MSC Coach of the Year and AFCA Region Coach of the Year. Quarterback Joaquin Collazo III was the MSC Offensive Player of the Year and a Second Team NAIA All-American. Brandon Moore was named to the 2022 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-American Team.

The Baseball Cats finished 18-29 but completed their season in strong fashion, winning four of their last six games before bowing out of the MSC tournament in Bowling Green. Three players were named to the all-conference second team. Two players were named to the conference honorable mention team. Eleven Wildcats were named to the conference all-academic squad. Five were named NAIA Scholar Athletes.

The Men's Basketball Wildcats completed their season at 14-14. One player was a second team all-conference selection. Four players earned NAIA All-Scholar status. Nine Wildcats earned conference all-academic status. Coach Jeff Britt won his 500^th career game in early December.

Men's bowling had a competitive season. Matthew Crawford was named 1^st team all-conference. Four Wildcats earned conference all-academic awards. Two were named NAIA Scholars.

Men's Golf had a good year with six top five finishes. One linkster was a second team all-conference performer. Four Cats earned conference all-academic status.

Men's soccer finished 12-4-3 on the season. The Cats bowed out in the conference championship finals. Bethel's Nathan Hunter and Adrian Musubi were named to the MSC 1^st team. Three players were named to the second team. Two were named to the honorable mention squad. Four players earned NAIA Scholar Athlete awards. Eleven Wildcats were named to the MSC All-Academic team.

Men's Swimming had several top five finishes during the year. One Wildcat was named to the conference all-academic team. One was named a NAIA Scholar Athlete. Bethel's Adam Przystal  competed in several events in the national championship. Przystal finished 13^th in the final sixteen swimmers who qualified for the finals.

Men's tennis finished 8-9 but showed improvement with strong efforts in several events. One netter was named to the MSC Second Team. Three Cats earned conference all-academic status. One was named a NAIA Scholar Athlete.

Men's track and field had a competitive season with a young squad which had several significant efforts. Four were named to the MSC All-Academic squad. Four were named NAIA Scholars.

The men's cross-country team had three academic all-conference members. Four Wildcats achieved NAIA Scholar Athletes status. The Wildcats had four top ten finishes.

The Roller Hockey Cats played well in the nationals before falling in the national semi-finals.

The Bethel University Bass Cats started out this season in October of 2022 with a bang when the team won the Major League Fishing College Face Off Championship at Pickwick Lake. Moving into late January and February the Wildcats traveled to Florida twice for two difficult tournaments. Two Bethel boats were able to qualify for the national championships. Late Spring found the Bass Cats back on top with a second place finish out of two hundred and thirty plus boats at Lake Guntersville in the MLF Regional. The team is ranked 13th in the nation in ACA points and finished the Bassmasters points championship ranked number four in the country. Bethel also won the Tennessee State Bass Nation Championship held on Watts Bar Lake in April. With just two championship events left for the season, the Cats are in a great position to win as twelve of Bethel's fourteen boats are qualified for national championship berths in the upcoming two tournament national Championships.