Baseball | 3/4/2026 4:21:00 PM
GOODWELL, Okla. — David Garcia of the Oklahoma Panhandle State baseball team was recognized Wednesday as an Honorable Mention on the 2026 Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team, organized by the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity.
Garcia, a senior catcher/first baseman, was one of 12 collegiate baseball players nationwide to make the Honorable Mention Team. Players on both the Honorable Mention and the official Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team hail from colleges representing all divisions, including many prominent NCAA Division I institutions.
The Woodward, Oklahoma, native was nominated by the OPSU athletics communications department in collaboration with head coach
Jared Mayeda. Garcia's wide-ranging community impact includes ministry work on campus, Church membership and involvement in his hometown, being a leader in organizing events within Panhandle State's COASN, volunteering for local agricultural work, and serving as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative.
"David is a great nominee because of the person that he is on the field, as well as the work he does outside the game of baseball in all facets of the community," Mayeda said.
On the diamond, Garcia has tallied eight home runs, seven doubles and driven in 37 runs in his OPSU career. He has also caught eight runners attempting to steal across three seasons with the Aggies.
About the Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team
Since 1955, Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity has presented the
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award to the Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Lou Gehrig, both on and off the field. Created to memorialize beloved Phi Delta Theta member Lou Gehrig following his death from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), the award is housed in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Through the growing impact of the award, Phi Delta Theta recognizes some of the best men in baseball while positively impacting the ALS community.
To further Lou Gehrig's legacy and his storied baseball career that began at the collegiate level at Columbia University, Phi Delta Theta, in partnership with the
Live Like Lou Foundation, introduced the
Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team in 2024 to annually recognize the giving character and community impact of collegiate baseball players.
Phi Delta Theta and the Live Like Lou Foundation are proud to announce the 2026 Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team. Honorees were nominated by their schools, and the team was selected based on outstanding achievements in three key areas:
- Demonstrating a substantial commitment to their community through service and philanthropy.
- Embodying the generous spirit and character of Lou Gehrig.
- Making remarkable contributions to the success of their respective teams.
2026 Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team Release |
OPSU Honors Page
