ROCK HILL SC—The 2016 Winthrop baseball team has been voted the Big South Conference Sportsmanship Award winner, the league announced Wednesday.
 
Gardner-Webb, which was honored with six team sportsmanship awards, has been named the overall winner of the Big South's annual Institutional Sportsmanship Award for the 2015-16 athletic season for the first time in that school's history.
"The Big South Conference sportsmanship award is a great honor and is an indicator that our student- athletes always represent Winthrop University, the Athletic Department and our baseball program in a first class manner both on and off the fields. This award is evidence that we are respected by the other teams in our conference that recognized the outstanding character of our young men," said Winthrop Coach Tom Riginos.
 
The overall winner is determined on a system that recognizes the highest percentage of the maximum points an institution is capable of receiving for each team award.  The team awards were voted on by Big South student-athletes following each conference championship, and are listed below.
 
"Sportsmanship and fair play are core values of the Big South Conference and its members," said Big South Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander.  "The Institutional Sportsmanship Award is one of our most significant honors as it recognizes the institution that has most consistently upheld these values and conducted its athletics program in a sportsmanlike manner.  We congratulate Gardner-Webb and all the team winners for their outstanding year!"
 
2015-16 Big South Team Sportsmanship Award Winners
    Baseball                                    Winthrop
    Men's Basketball                       Presbyterian College
    Women's Basketball                  Presbyterian College
    Men's Cross Country                  Campbell
    Women's Cross Country             UNC Asheville
    Football                                    Monmouth
    Men's Golf                                Gardner-Webb, Radford
    Women's Golf                           High Point
    Men's Indoor Track                    Gardner-Webb
    Women's Indoor Track               Gardner-Webb, Coastal Carolina
    Women's Lacrosse                    High Point
    Men's Outdoor Track                  UNC Asheville
    Women's Outdoor Track             Liberty
    Men's Soccer                            Gardner-Webb
    Women's Soccer                       Presbyterian College
    Softball                                     Gardner-Webb
    Men's Tennis                             Liberty
    Women's Tennis                        Liberty
    Volleyball                                  Gardner-Webb