Sam Kirkpatrick Receives State Farm Good Neighbor Award

May 1, 2024 – Belmont senior infielder Sam Kirkpatrick was named a State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award recipient, announced by the conference Wednesday afternoon.

In order to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and participate in a sport, during the season of recognition.

Kirkpatrick has been a pillar of the community and program during his four years. He is most known for his work with Team IMPACT, an organization that allows kids to be a member of a collegiate sports team. His relationship with Levi is well known and highlighted in last Saturday’s Team IMPACT Game against Southern Illinois.

Kirkpatrick holds several leadership positions at Belmont. He organizes and plans readings and bi-weekly teachings of the Bible with 20 other student-athletes on campus. He also serves as the senator for Belmont’s Student Government Association. Kirkpatrick was a panelist for the APA Foundation: Where We Play Nashville event in January comprised of professional athletes, sports psychologists, and medical professionals helping student-athletes balance the demands of competitive sports and performance anxiety. Kirkpatrick serves as a mentor in the Athletes to Athletes program that provides skills and training to youth athletes navigating their young sports careers.

In the last year, Kirkpatrick founded the clothing brand i am Vulnerable. The brand’s mission is to change the narrative of male mental health, particularly with athletes.

Kirkpatrick has taken part in several volunteer opportunities and mission trips. The Belmont baseball team traveled to Nicaragua in August and provided youth camps and clinics for local children. The team also played in several games against pro teams. Other volunteer opportunities include participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Cooper Trooper Pumpkin Patch and the Parkwood Clinic.

Kirkpatrick’s academic accomplishments include several recognitions from the MVC and Patriot League. He was named to the Patriot League’s Academic Honor Roll in 2021 and 2022 at Holy Cross. He received the 2023 MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award and was named to the conference honor roll. Kirkpatrick’s honors continued this year, as he received the 2024 Team Academic Achievement Award and the Graduating Senior Academic Achievement Award for the highest cumulative grade point average amongst graduating Belmont athletes. Kirkpatrick was also named this year’s recipient of the Rich Tiner Altruism Award.

Kirkpatrick has played in 69 games for the Bruins’ baseball team and made 56 starts. He owns a .251 career batting average, 58 hits, 30 RBI and 33 runs.

Follow Belmont baseball on social media – @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont’s athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.