RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Friday that senior baseball student-athlete Kade York is the recipient of the 2024 Jody Ramsey Memorial Award, the top honor a baseball student-athlete can earn at UTRGV.
 
York received the award before Friday's game from Jody's brother, Kenneth, and head coach Derek Matlock.
 
The Jody Ramsey Memorial Award is awarded to a senior or graduate student baseball player who best exemplifies the standards set by Ramsey, meaning he must show superior athletic ability, character, leadership, and dedication to excellence on and off the field.
 
More on York
 
This season, York is hitting .277/.399/.408, going 53-for-191 with four home run, 11 doubles, one triple, 29 RBI, 44 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 48 games.
 
For his 2-year career as a Vaquero, York is hitting .291/.410/.410, going 107-for-368 with seven home runs, 21 doubles, one triple, 53 RBI, 85 runs scored and 16 stolen bases in 104 games, all of which have been starts at shortstop.
 
Remembering Jody Ramsey
 
On February 24, 1973, Jody Ramsey, who was a student-athlete on the baseball team, was working on the construction of the new baseball stadium being built on campus. As one of the laborers, he spent many hours on the site of the ballpark and, in an unfortunate turn of events, was killed in an electrical accident before the stadium had reached completion.
 
After his death, the #6 was never again handed out by any of the head coaches of the baseball program, including Al Ogletree (1968-97), Reggie Tredaway (1998-02), Willie Gawlik (2003-08), Manny Mantrana (2009-17), and Derek Matlock (2018-Present). Ramsey's number was officially retired in a ceremony on opening day last year.
 
A 2013 inductee into the Athletics Hall of Honor, Ramsey has long been remembered by the university, as students petitioned the Pan American University Board of Regents to name the park he had been working on in Ramsey's memory. The recommendation was accepted unanimously, and in 1974, the baseball team took the field to play their first season in Jody Ramsey Memorial Stadium.
 
The baseball team played in Jody Ramsey Memorial Stadium from 1974-2001 before moving to what is now known as UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Jody Ramsey Memorial Stadium was removed in 2003 to allow for the construction of the College of Education building. The Jody Ramsey Memorial Plaza was dedicated on April 28, 2007, on the site of the former stadium.

Ramsey was also previously honored through the Jody Ramsey Tournament every year from 1980 through 1995.
 
On the field, Ramsey was the baseball team's leading hitter and co-captain during the 1972 season. He led the team in eight statistical categories, including hitting (.346), games played (56), at-bats (185), runs scored (47), hits (64), triples (four), stolen bases (17) and walks. He also earned NCAA All-District VI honors.
 
While he was very impressive on the field, Ramsey was equally outstanding in his character and standards of living. He was twice elected president of the Pan American University Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Ramsey lived an outstanding moral existence and had a brief, but brilliant career with the baseball team.

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