Sandoval-Estrada Receives John Scolinos Award
1/31/2020 9:01:00 PM | Baseball
MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine baseball team had its annual John Scolinos Award dinner on Friday. Saul Sandoval-Estrada, a 2019 alumni, was given the award, and Jim Thome, a first-ballot Hall of Fame infielder who played for 22 years in Major League Baseball, was the keynote speaker.
The John Scolinos Award, given annually, is given to a Pepperdine baseball alumnus for his exemplary behavior during a season or career. The recipient is honored for demonstrating strong character traits, including humility, resourcefulness, loyalty, honesty, work ethic, Christian behavior and sportsmanship.
Saul Sandoval-Estrada, an infielder from Oceanside, Calif., was a vocal leader in the clubhouse. He truly showed his merits off the baseball diamond. He was a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award, handed out "to honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field," and to athletes who come from diverse backgrounds. He also earned Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete honors each year he was in Malibu. Sandoval-Estrada played in 40 games in his career, starting 12. He recorded 12 hits and scored 14 runs.
Jim Thome is one of the most prolific power hitters in the history of Major League Baseball. He played 22 years in the Major Leagues and hit 612 home runs in his career, eighth most all-time. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, his first year of eligibility.
Finishing off the weekend is the annual Scolinos Alumni Game, which pits the current Pepperdine baseball team against former Waves from all over the country. Batting practice for alumni is set for around noon, and first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
