Braves Take Home Joby Hawn All-Sports Trophy, Women's Cups
The UNC Pembroke athletics departments was celebrated in May for another successful season when the Braves were named winners of the Conference Carolinas Joby Hawn Cup for the third consecutive season. A conference championship from swimming and East Division champions by women’s basketball helped the department to its third-straight women’s trophy collecting 83.1 percent of the maximum points.

UNC Pembroke Collects Three Championships, Two Division Titles
UNCP continued to excel during athletic competitions in the 2024-25 seasons with the addition of three Conference Carolinas Championship titles. Men’s cross country took top honors for the third-straight year at the Conference Carolinas Championship, while swimming took home the title at their championship for the second consecutive season. Men’s Basketball ran through the Conference Carolinas Tournament for their second-straight tournament time, while also finishing the regular season at the top of the league for the Conference Carolinas Regular Season title. Women’s basketball finished the season with a share of the Conference Carolinas East Division title, while men’s basketball collected the East Division honor for the second year in a row. 

Twice As Nice! Braves Capture Second Conference Carolinas Tournament Title
The UNC Pembroke men's basketball team closed out the regular season winning its final 10 games leading into the Conference Carolinas Tournament. Earning the top seed in the tournament after winning the Conference Carolinas Regular Season and East Division Titles, the Braves locked horns with King in the semifinals of the tournament. UNCP knocked off the Tornado 90-74, to setup a rematch of the 2023-24 Conference Carolinas tournament finals with Emmanuel. The Black & Gold were firing on all cylinders and shot better than 57-percent in both halves to key a 107-91 victory over Emmanuel. JaJuan Carr was tabbed as the most valuable player of the championship, while Bradlee Haskell and Dallas Gardner also earned all-tournament team honors. 

Men's Basketball Has Historic Run During NCAA Tournament
The UNC Pembroke men’s basketball team made its 11th trip back to the big dance following the program’s second-straight Conference Carolinas Tournament championship. The Braves faced No. 13 Lincoln Memorial in the opening round in Columbus, Ga., and used a late turnover and a bucket at the buzzer from senior Josh Berenbaum to knock off the Railsplitters. The Black & Gold battled host No. 8 Columbus State in the second round where UNCP shot 57.7 percent from the floor and upset the Cougars to advance to the NCAA Regional final for the first time in program history. UNC Pembroke rallied from a 19-point deficit but fell 76-74 to No. 10 Lenoir-Rhyne in the finals. Bradlee Haskell and Dallas Gardner were both named to the NCAA Southeast Region All-Tournament team. 

Swimming Brings Home Second Conference Carolinas Title 
The UNC Pembroke swimming team won six individual events and one relay event at the Conference Carolinas Championships in March to help the Braves to their second-straight Conference Carolinas Championship. Sophomore Sofia Pereira won a trio of individual events to highlight the action. The Black & Gold racked up 21 all-conference accolades over the meet and finished the season with seven new school records. Head coach Oscar Roverato was tabbed as the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. 

Pepe Pugliese Competes At NCAA Championship 
Sophomore Benedetta Pepe Pugliese became the first student-athlete in the history of the UNC Pembroke swimming program to earn back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Avellino, Italy, native is just the fifth student-athlete for the swimming program to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. Pepe Pugliese placed 22nd in the 400-yard Individual Medley with a time of 4:27.96, and closed out the championship placing 30th in the 200-yard Breaststroke with a time of 2:20.45.

Women's Basketball Wins East Division, Punches Ticket To Third Straight NCAA Tournament
UNCP finished the 2024-25 season with a 22-9 record under first year head coach Dr. Kendra Samuels-Eaton. The Black & Gold went 12-2 when playing at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court and won four out of its last five regular season games for a share of the Conference Carolinas East Division title. The Braves fell in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Tournament, but earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament to make their third-straight trip to the big dance. UNC Pembroke earned a trio of all-conference honorees – Zaria Clark, Stella Mollica, and Anastasia Sinclair, and finished the season shooting 41.7 percent from the field as a team.

Braves Earn National Recognition, Break Four Individual Records 
The UNC Pembroke women’s basketball team picked up national recognition early in the season starting the year with a national ranking of 25th in the Division II College Sport Communicators preseason poll. The Black & Gold would climb as high as 17 in the national rankings during the season. The program had a pair of seniors, Kelci Adams and Zaria Clark, who etched their name in the record books becoming members of the 1,000-point club. Adams also became the program’s all-time 3-point record holder finishing her career with 243 triples and holds the school record for most three’s in a season with 77. Newcomer Stella Mollica broke the single-season assists record and finished the year ranked seventh-nationally with 173 assists. The senior also matched the school record for most assists in a single game with 13 against Fayetteville State. Sophomore Natalie Evington knocked down eight 3-pointers against Barton in the second round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament to now hold the record for most 3-pointers in a single game. 

Men's Cross Country Brings Home Third-Straight Conference Title 
The UNC Pembroke men’s cross country team placed five runners inside the top-15 to help the team to its third consecutive Conference Carolinas Championship in October. Newcomer Kelvin Kibet paced the Braves and finished the 8K race in fourth place and was named the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year following the meet. It was the fifth time in the last 10 season that UNCP has captured the conference meet. The Black & Gold had six all-conference runners, which marked the most all-conference honorees in the history of the program. 

Kimaiyo Competes At NCAA Championship 
Sophomore Moureen Kimaiyo punched her ticket to the NCAA National Championship for the second-straight season following a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional. The Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year and individual champion for the second year in a row, Kimaiyo placed 152nd at the NCAA Championship in Sacramento, Calif. The Eldoret, Kenya, native is just the second female runner to compete on the sport’s biggest stage and holds the program’s fastest 6K time set at the NCAA Southeast Regional this year. 

Wrestling Trio Qualifies For Nationals  
A long-standing tradition continued for the wrestling program as the Braves sent three competitors to the NCAA Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana in mid-March. It was the ninth-straight season that the program has been represented by multiple student-athletes at nationals. Graduate student Oggie Atwood turned in a perfect day at the NCAA Super Region II Championship to qualify for nationals, while senior Jake Piccirilli claimed runner-up honors at the regional championship to make his third trip to the big dance. Junior Logan Robinson tacked up a third-place finish during regionals and qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second time in his career. 

Hayes Punches Ticket To NCAA Indoor Championship 
Following an impressive start to his UNC Pembroke career, Mekhi Hayes extended his indoor track & field season after qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in mid-March in Indianapolis, Indiana. A native of Chicago, Ill., Hayes was one of 18 student-athletes selected to compete for a national title in the 200-meter Dash. The freshman posted a meet-record time of 21.59 at the Conference Carolinas Indoor Championships, which marked an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. He was one of six Conference Carolinas student-athletes selected to compete at the Indoor National Championships and becomes just the fifth Brave to earn a berth to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Hayes placed 17th in the 200-meter Dash at the championship.

Braves Combine To Bring Home 92 All-Conference Accolades 
UNC Pembroke student-athletes combined to take in 92 all-conference laurels during the 2024-25 athletic season. Three student-athletes were crowned as Player of the Year in their respective sports, while three student-athletes took home Freshman of the Year honors. The Black & Gold had multiple all-conference honorees across 14 sports, including 13 football student-athletes decorated with All-Mountain East Conference recognition. Swimming brought home 21 all-conference honors, while men’s cross country and soccer both had six honorees. Track & field accumulated 26 all-conference awards between the indoor and outdoor seasons, while wrestling (5), women’s cross country (4), men’s basketball (3), women’s basketball (3), volleyball (2), and softball (2) squads all boasted multiple all-conference honors as well. 

Roverato Brings Home Coach Of The Year Honor 
Following the program’s second consecutive Conference Carolinas title, head swimming coach Oscar Roverato was named as the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. It is the third year in a row that Roverato has collected the league’s coaching crown, and his fifth overall. Roverato won a pair of coach of the year laurels in back-to-back seasons when the program competed as part of the Mountain East Conference. 

Grossheim Named Top-9 Finalist For NCAA Woman Of The Year Award
Senior soccer standout Anna Grossheim was named as a top-9 finalist for the prestigious NCAA Women of the Year Award in late-November. The Woman of the Year award was created in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in athletics, academics, leadership, and community service. Grossheim was recognized in Nashville, Tenn., at the NCAA Convention in January for being a finalist. 

Haskell Selected To Play In NABC College All-Star Game
Bradlee Haskell was one of 18 players selected to participate in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) College All-Star Game in late-March. The game is played in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Elite Eight® at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., and featured the top senior talent across Division II. The senior scored eight points in each half and finished the contest going 6-for-11 from the field during the all-star game. Haskell knocked down a team-high four 3-pointers in 25 minutes of work. 

Six Teams Make NCAA Postseason Appearances
Four of UNC Pembroke’s varsity athletic teams were represented by individual competitors in the NCAA postseason, while men’s and women’s basketball notched team appearances on the NCAA Division II’s biggest stage thanks to impressive seasons during the 2024-25 seasons. The swimming team sent its first back-to-back national qualifier, while men’s indoor track & field sent their first student-athlete to the national championship since the 2021-22 season. The wrestling team continued a time-honored tradition for itself by qualifying three student-athletes for the NCAA Championship – the 24th-straight season that the Braves have qualified at least one wrestler for the event. The men’s basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament for the 11th time in the history of the program, while women’s basketball qualified for the NCAA tournament for the third-straight year. 

Volleyball, Spirit Squad Earn Runner-Up Finishes In Quest For Conference Crown, Wrestling Places Second In Region
The UNC Pembroke volleyball team battled its way through the Conference Carolinas Tournament highlighted by a reverse sweep over rival Francis Marion in the quarterfinals at the North Charleston Athletic Center. The Braves swept Mount Olive to advance to the finals, but were stopped by Converse in a 3-0 decision in the championship finals. Spirit Squad competed in the Conference Carolinas Spirit Championship in early March at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C., where the cheer team placed second behind Barton. Wrestling hosted the NCAA Super Region II Tournament where the program claimed a runner-up finish behind Lander. 

Blackwelder Tabbed As Elite-23, Grossheim, Junker Named Scholar-Athlete Of The Year
A pivotal presence for the UNC Pembroke track & field team both on the track and in the classroom, senior Gabe Blackwelder was crowned as the Conference Carolinas Men’s Indoor Track & Field Elite-23 recipient following the championship in late-February. Blackwelder becomes the first UNCP track & field athlete in the history of the program to earn a league sport's most elite academic prize. The Elite-23 Award honors Conference Carolinas student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average at their respective championship site. The award is modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 Award, and it allows all student-athletes at the final championship site to win the award. Anna Grossheim (soccer) and Norman Junker (men’s outdoor track & field) both capped off their seasons by being named as the Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year. It was the second honor for Grossheim, but a first for Junker, which was also the first for the men’s track & field program. To be considered, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or higher. In addition, the nominees for the award must have been named all-conference in their sport and also chosen academic all-conference.

Daley Tabbed As Conference Carolinas Comeback Player Of The Year
Following a major surgery in August 2023 that sidelined her for a year, Precious Daley was named as the Conference Carolinas Comeback Player of the Year presented by Vernon Graphics & Promotions in late May. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Daley underwent surgery to repair her iliofemoral ligament, femoral cam lesion, and periacetabular osteotomy on her right hip. The Comeback Athlete of the Year award recognizes a student-athlete who participates in a conference-sponsored sport, suffers a significant injury and comes back to make significant contributions to their team after recovering. The award is presented annually. The head athletic trainer from each Conference Carolinas member institution submits one nominee each based on the award criteria. The head athletic trainers then select the winner.

21 Student-Athletes Claim Academic All-District Honors, Grossheim Named Academic All-American
Soccer’s Anna Grossheim became the 24th College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America recipient in the history of the athletics department after earning the distinguished honor for the third consecutive season. The Braves also brought home a total of 21 CSC Academic All-District Awards during the 2024-25 season as well. The be nominated, a student-athlete must see action in 90 percent of the total number of games. A student-athlete must also have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their current institution. Established in 1952 and selected by College Sport Communicators, the Academic All-America award is the longest-running and premier honor for athletic and academic success. 

Braves Combine For Nearly 400 Conference Academic Honor Roll Laurels
Celebrated annually as a point of pride for the department, UNCP’s student-athletes amassed more than 380 Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll laurels during the 2024-25 academic year. Following the fall semester, 199 student-athletes earned the distinguished honor, while 192 student-athletes were honored on the spring honor roll. The bi-annual award recognizes student-athletes who have earned a 3.20 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale following each semester. UNCP has now sent 100 or more student-athletes to a conference academic honor roll for 15-straight seasons. The 2024-25 academic year marked the 11th time in the last 12 years that 150 or more student-athletes have graced a conference academic honor roll.  

Joll, Hall Named Athletes Of The Year To Highlight Welcome Back Event
Senior Scotty Joll was decorated with Male Student-Athlete of the Year accolades, while Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP Kalaya Hall raked in the Female Student-Athlete of the Year laurels as the UNC Pembroke athletics department welcomed back its nearly 400 student-athletes in August as part of an event inside the Givens Performing Arts Centers (GPAC). Baseball’s Michael Dolberry II and swimming’s Benedetta Pepe Pugliese took home Male and Female Newcomer of the Year honors, while baseball head coach Paul O’Neil picked up the Dan Kenney Coach of the Year crown. The awards put a wrap on the 2023-24 Golden Braves program which was held in April 2024.

UNCP Hosts 12th Annual Golden Braves Awards  
Six teams were celebrated for making NCAA postseason appearances, including three that brought home a conference championship, as the UNC Pembroke athletics department lauded its student-athletes at the 12th annual Golden Braves awards show in late April. Track & field's Gary Parker and swimming's Luisa Rios were named the Athletic Performance Student-Athletes of the Year for their work in the weightroom, while volleyball's Precious Daley and wrestling's Shylik Scriven was crowned as the Comeback Student-Athletes of the Year. Longtime supporter's Trustee Kenneth and Claudia Robinette picked up Braves Club Member of the Year honors, while Mr. Garry Hunt was presented with the Changing Lives Through Education Award.

UNCP Honors 45th Hall Of Fame Class
Five student-athletes, a trailblazing coach for women's athletics, and an avid Braves Club supporter were officially inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Week in late October. The class spans over seven sports, and has accolades such as all-American, Harlon Hill finalist, school record holders, and the first women’s basketball and tennis coach. 

Cash Bash Shatters Record For UNCP Athletics 
Athletics department officials at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced in early May that the 12th annual Cash Bash, presented by Scotland Health, fundraising event raised more than $180,000 for the department’s general scholarship fund. Brian Calabria served as the program’s emcee and auctioneer for the event that featured over 90 silent auction items and experiences and six premiere live auction items. The final total from the event was $189,719.07, which marked a 20-percent increase from last year’s event and the highest total raised by the 12-year event. 

Sampson Guides Houston Cougars To Historic Season
Pembroke native and a 1978 graduate of Pembroke State, Kelvin Sampson helped guide the Houston men’s basketball team to a record-setting season. At the helm of the Cougars, Sampson led the team to a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA National Championship game before falling to Florida in the title game. Voted The Sporting News, CBS Sports National Coach of the Year, and a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, Sampson’s team won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history. The Cougars swept the Big 12 Regular Season and Tournament Championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years. 

Brayboy No. 13 Baseball Jersey Retired 
Dr. Ray Brayboy’s No. 13 baseball jersey was officially retired during a ceremony in April at Sammy Cox Field. The ceremony included extended family, university administration, leadership at the city, county, state and tribal levels; all to pay tribute to the lifetime accomplishments of Dr. L Ray Brayboy. A nearly .330 career hitter, Brayboy was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics all-American following the 1967 and 1969 seasons. In 1969, Brayboy posted an astounding .390 batting average. During the peak of Brayboy's impact on UNCP Baseball, the Braves registered 79 wins in three years and the highest winning percentage in a three-year span in program history. Among the first selections to the prestigious UNCP Athletics Hall of Fame, Brayboy is a 1984 inductee. Following his collegiate career, Brayboy played for the Red Springs single A club, an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in the Carolina League. As a continuance of the Brayboy family's lifelong support of the University, the event was also an opportunity to announce a new endowed scholarship in Dr. Brayboy's honor that would benefit the future of the baseball program.

Athletic Performance Unit Adds Nutrition Station Through Karen L. And Kelvin Sampson Gift  
Officials at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced in mid-September the addition of the Athletics Nutrition Station, thanks to the continued philanthropy from Trustee Karen L. and Kelvin Sampson, which is named in their honor. The Sampson's investment will create a hub for nutrition, education and resources for student-athletes looking to get the most out of their athletics experience, as well as create lifelong healthy eating habits. "One thing that I have always thought was important and I tell every kid that I coach is don't forget where you come from, be proud of where you come from," said Kelvin Sampson. " No matter where we have been, Pembroke has always been with us. I am blessed to have been raised in this town. Pembroke is a special place."  Trustee Karen L. Sampson has served on the UNC Pembroke Board of Trustees since 2018. A 1976 graduate of Pembroke State, Karen graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. She was active in various student activities, including the Indianhead Yearbook and marching band. A 1978 graduate of Pembroke State, Kelvin Sampson was a member of the men's basketball and baseball team. Sampson served as team captain for the Braves on the basketball team. The Pembroke native was inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. Sampson has been the men's basketball coach at the University of Houston since 2014. 

Grossheim Named Murphy Osborne Award Recipient
Graduate student Anna Grossheim added one final accolade to her illustrious UNC Pembroke soccer career in early-April when she was crowned as the Conference Carolinas Murphy Osborne Award recipient. The award is Conference Carolinas’ Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete award. A sociology major who graduated last year with a 3.992 GPA, Grossheim has turned in a 3.75 graduate GPA and is on track to receive her Master's degree from UNCP in public administration in December 2025. The award is named for longtime educator and college administrator Dr. Murphy Osborne. To be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be a December or May graduating senior or a first-year graduate student completing athletic eligibility at the same institution as undergraduate matriculation. The student-athlete must be a full-time student at the time of nomination, must have been a full-time student at the member school for at least two years and must be a starter or important substitute in a conference sport. Student-athletes are nominated by their institutions based on their academic, athletic and service accomplishments. The Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) from all Conference Carolinas institutions submit institutional nominations and votes are cast by the FARs.

Athletics Department Inks Deal With Championship Award-Guys, Extends Partnership With Scotland Health Care
Athletics department officials announced in June that the Braves have completed a deal with Championship Award-Guys to serve as the Official Championship Ring of UNC Pembroke. The contract will run through the 2027-2028 school year. As part of the contract, Championship Award-Guys will provide wooden ring boxes for all championship teams and will be the only ring manufacturer allowed to use the UNC Pembroke logo, wording or nicknames related to the university on rings. Championship Award-Guys will also provide six complimentary Hall of Fame rings for inductees. The company is creating a Varsity Ring online store for all student-athletes to purchase rings. The department also announced that UNCP has extended their contract with Scotland Health Care System to serve as the Official Healthcare Provider of UNCP Athletics. The contract will run through the 2027-2028 school year. Under the terms of the contract, Scotland Health Care System will be the designated primary care physician to oversee athletic training staff operations. They will also provide on-site staffing for all home football, men's and women's basketball games, along with tournaments and special events. Scotland Health Care will conduct and manage annual physicals for student-athletes, as well as ensure priority diagnostics. The company will also be launching a billable on-campus AT clinic pilot with terms to be mutually agreed upon at a future date. 

UNCP Brings Home A Trio Of NACMA “Best Of” Honors
UNC Pembroke’s athletics external operations team continued a long standing tradition when the group took home three “Best Of” honors from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) following a year full of marketing efforts. The team brought home gold in the Game Day Promotickion category for the Tribe Night Basketball Doubleheader in February. UNCP earned silver in both Digital Media Engagement and Community Engagement. The department has now claimed 42 NACMA “Best Of” Awards over the last eight athletic seasons. 

Dick Christy Named Nominee For Athletics Director Of The Year
Conference Carolinas announced in February that UNC Pembroke’s Director of Athletics, Dick Christy, was nominated for the Cushman & Wakefield national Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year award for the 2023-24 academic year. "Conference Carolinas is thrilled to be able to submit this nomination for Dick Christy as our nominee for the Cushman & Wakefield NACDA Athletic Director of the Year Award," Conference Carolinas Commissioner Chris Colvin said. "Dick is an integral part of everything we do in Conference Carolinas. His work in shaping the continued growth, while presenting ideas of professional growth within the league has given us all great standards." The Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) Awards program was created to honor intercollegiate Directors of Athletics for their commitment and administrative excellence within a campus and/or college community environment over the course of the last year. The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior/Community Colleges) and annually honors 28 athletics directors (four from each division).

Trio Of Coaches Hit Milestone Victories
The UNC Pembroke athletics department had a trio of coaches who hit milestone victories during the 2024-25 athletics season. Soccer head coach Lars Andersson tallied his 350th career coaching victory with a 2-1 victory against Mount Olive on September 21. Men’s Basketball head coach Drew Richards registered his 100th victory at UNCP with a 106-70 victory against Mount Olive in the regular season finale on Feb. 26, while baseball skipper Paul O’Neil logged his 800th coaching victory with the Braves on March 22 following a 19-8 victory against Chowan. 

Harris Gets Called Up To AAA For San Francisco Giants
Trent Harris, an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco Giants in 2023, was promoted to the AAA Sacramento River Cats on June 3. Harris logged a 1-1 record and two saves across 13 relief appearances for the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels prior to his promotion. As of June 6, Harris had compiled a 14-5 record with ten saves in his professional career, to go along with a 1.76 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 117.1 innings pitched, while also limiting opposing batters to a .177 batting average. The Raleigh native is ranked the 11th-best prospect in the organization according to MLB.com.

Lucas, Willis Earn All-Region Honors
Postseason honors were again in order for the UNC Pembroke baseball team when Landon Lucas and Seth Willis each earned an all-region nod from a pair of organizations. Willis made 22 appearances on the mound for the Braves in relief and posted a 5-2 record and finished the season with a Conference Carolinas-best 10 saves to earn 2nd team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) all-region. Willis was also named NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week following a pair of saves against No. 23 Francis Marion while striking out 10 batters. A native of Blythewood, S.C., Lucas was named 1st team Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) all-region following a .301 batting average for the season. Lucas drove in a team-high 55 runs and made 14 appearances on the mound logging a 4.05 ERA.

Darren Bowen Promoted To AA Wind Surge
Former UNCP pitcher, Darren Bowen, earned a promotion to the Wichita Wind Surge prior to the 2025 season. The Wind Surge is the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. As of June 10, Bowen has made eight starts for Wichita and holds a 2-1 record with a 3.50 ERA across 36 innings pitched. The righthander has struck out 27 and is holding opposing hitters to a .171 batting average.

Athletics Department Announces Six Additions To Staff 
The UNC Pembroke athletics department welcomed six new full-time staff members for the 2024-25 athletic season. Dr. Paige Ezell and Julie Day both joined the athletic training staff, where Ezell handles day-to-day operations with soccer and softball, and Day covers volleyball, swimming and golf. Sara Pasour was hired as the assistant volleyball coach, while Daniel Britt rejoined the baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach. Graysen Cockerham joined the department overseeing Marketing and External Revenue in July, while Monica Strickland was hired in July and serves as the Director of the Braves Club. 

Student-Athletes Shine In Classroom, With Teams Finish With 3.0 GPA
UNC Pembroke’s more-than 400 student-athletes displayed their academic success again during the 2024-25 year after combining to register a 2.905 grade point average. 11 of UNCP’s 16 varsity athletic teams posted a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better during the Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 semester, while six of those teams combined to tally a 3.0 across both semesters. A total of 242 student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 GPA during the fall semester, while 209 individuals accomplished the feat during the spring semester. Student-athletes combined to notch 190 honors list and 131 chancellor’s list laurels in 2024-25. 45 student-athletes tallied a perfect 4.0 GPA in either the fall or spring semester, with nine of those maintaining a perfect 4.0 across both semesters. 

Student-Athletes Earn Degrees At Winter, Spring Commencements
A total of 60 current and former student-athletes earned their bachelor’s degrees or graduate degrees during the 2024-25 academic year, including 43 that earned their degrees at the conclusion of the spring semester. The athletics department presented the graduating candidates with stoles to commemorate their time as a student-athlete for the Black & Gold. Graduating student-athletes have been recognized on stage during each of the department’s last four annual Golden Braves award ceremonies.