Towarnicky

David Towarnicky is team captain of the Appalachian State baseball team, External Community Chairman of the Student Athletic Advisory Board and a double major in banking and finance, and risk insurance management.

To put it plainly, however, the senior first baseman is nothing short of a giver.

“I really feel like I have a purpose in life to affect change and to go out and reach people,” Towarnicky said. “Ten years from now, no matter where I am, I want to be affecting change somewhere for the better.”

The award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, and is given to one NCAA Division I senior student-athlete who exhibits noteworthy achievements in the areas of classroom, character, community and competition.

“[Towarnicky] meets all of the qualifications,” teammate Taylor Miller said. “He’s someone that I look up to and respect a lot. He’s a great presence and someone that, if you’ve ever got any problems, you can talk to about anything.”

As an athlete, Towarnicky has been the team’s starting first baseman since his arrival at ASU in 2007. He has a .305 career batting average, and has a .991 career fielding percentage, with just 14 errors in 1,599 chances at first base.

“He has made us a better team, year in and year out, in the four years that he has been here because he’s such a great defensive player,” head coach Chris Pollard said. “Every single player voted him to be team captain [this season], and to have that sort of universal respect from your team is pretty incredible.”

Towarnicky gives more than just leadership and camaraderie to his teammates. He is also an active member of the community.

The senior has taken a particularly special interest in Crossnore School, a local non-profit home and school for abused children.

“In the fall I helped organize a tailgate for [the kids], and we got them all tickets to a football game,” Towarnicky said. “They really don’t have many opportunities to get off [their] campus, and so whenever they come to [Appalachian] it’s just a really touching experience to be able to play with them and maybe take their minds off of things for a little while.”

After graduating from ASU in December, Towarnicky plans to continue helping others through research in the area of microfinance and the financial needs of poverty-stricken areas of the world.

Towarnicky sports a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and is the only one of the original 30 Senior CLASS baseball candidates to do so.

“He is the most well-rounded person that I’ve ever had a chance to work with in my years in the game of baseball,” Pollard said. “Everything he does, he does well.”

The winner of this year’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award will be presented at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., in June.

“I think it’s really important to give back to the community and to reach out to those that are less fortunate than you,” Towarnicky said. “I know that I’ve been blessed with all kinds of opportunities here at Appalachian State.”

Story: RANDI KITTS, Sports Reporter