OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Florida Gulf Coast star Evan Dempsey has been named the 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, announced by the College Baseball Foundation.
Dempsey was selected for the award after a standout season for the Eagles as both a right-handed pitcher and an outfielder. The Tampa, Fla., native earned first-team Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) honors for his work on the mound and second-team ASUN honors as an outfielder.
The award is named for former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
"We could not be more pleased to name Evan Dempsey as our winner of the 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award,” Olerud Award chairman George Watson said. “Evan’s selflessness to help his team in whatever capacity he can, and his competitive spirit to put his teammates on his back, when needed, exemplify all the qualities we look for in our winners. Not only that, Evan is a leader both on and off the field and will be a key contributor as the Eagles look to build on the momentum gained from a tremendous run in 2025. We are honored to have Evan join our distinguished list of Olerud Award honorees.”
Dempsey was 5-1 this season with a 1.97 ERA. He pitched in 15 games, including making 10 starts. Dempsey logged 68.2 innings, striking out 75 and walking 20. Of the 57 hits he allowed this season only six of them went for extra-bases (3 doubles, 3 home runs). He held opposing batters to a .225 batting average.
As an outfielder, Dempsey played in all 60 of FGCU’s games, starting in 59 of those. He posted a .309 batting average, tallying 71 hits, including 18 doubles and three home runs, for a .435 slugging percentage. Dempsey scored 41 runs and racked up 30 RBI. He was also a perfect 14-for-14 on stolen bases on the season.
In the field, Dempsey committed only one error on 99 chances, earning 86 putouts and two assists. His fielding percentage was .990.
“Evan is a special kind of player that only comes around once or twice in a coach’s career,” FGCU head coach Dave Tollett said. “I am incredibly proud of him for being named the winner of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award. He is a true throwback. He would rather play this game 365 days a year. That’s how much he loves it. He’s the kind of player that can do it all – pitching, hitting and defense – and more importantly, he does it all with grit.
“He has a team-first mentality. When we needed him the most, he didn’t flinch. He just said, ‘Whatever you need, coach,’ and he delivered in all aspects. I truly feel he’s the best player in the country and he deserves every bit of this recognition. He has earned it with his talent, his work ethic and his loyalty. We are fortunate to have him here at FGCU. I truly believe the best is ahead of him.”
As a freshman, Dempsey pitched in just six games but was intended to be a big piece of their bullpen this season as a sophomore. However, through the course of non-conference and into ASUN play, FGCU lost all three starting pitchers to injury. Tollett went to Dempsey to ask him to move into the starting rotation, and he was more than happy to do so. FGCU started 1-7 in the ASUN, but once they moved Dempsey to the starting role, Tollett said their turnaround began. Starting with Dempsey's win over North Florida in his first start on March 29, FGCU went 15-7 in conference play and earned the No. 3 seed from the Graphite Division for the ASUN tournament. There, FGCU went 5-1 to finish tied with Stetson for the ASUN Tournament title. Unfortunately, because Stetson and FGCU finished with 1-1 records against each other in the tournament, Stetson was awarded the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament per ASUN policy after weather cancelled the championship game between the two schools.
Dempsey will be playing for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League this summer and also will be participating in Team USA tryouts later this summer. Tollett said his competitiveness and determination have drawn the interest from scouts. According to Tollett, the spin rate on his slider is at 3,200, believed to be among the nation’s best in that category.
The other finalists for the 2025 Olerud Award were senior Bryce Calloway, RHP/OF, New Orleans; junior Ethan Hedges, IF/RHP, USC; sophomore Max Knight, LHP/1B, Missouri State; and senior Justin Lehman, RHP/1B, Army West Point.
Jac Caglianone of the University of Florida was the 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year. Caglianone made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals earlier this month.
For more information on the Olerud Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Recipients
Year - Name, Positions, Class, School
- 2025 - Evan Dempsey, OF/RHP, Sophomore, Florida Gulf Coast
- 2024 – Jac Caglianone, LHP/1B, Junior, Florida
- 2023 – Caden Grice, LHP/1B/DH, Junior, Clemson
- 2022 – Paul Skenes, RHP/C, Sophomore, Air Force
- 2021 – Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP/SS, Junior, Nebraska
- 2020 – Not Awarded (Season Suspended)
- 2019 – Aaron Schunk, 3B/RHP, Junior, Georgia
- 2018 – Brooks Wilson, RHP/DH/1B, Senior, Stetson
- 2017 – Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP, Junior, Louisville
- 2016 – Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP, Sophomore, Louisville
- 2015 – Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP, Freshman, Louisville
2014 – A.J. Reed, 1B/LHP, Junior, Kentucky - 2013 – Marco Gonzales, LHP/1B, Junior Gonzaga
- 2012 – Brian Johnson, LHP/DH, Junior, Florida
- 2011 – Danny Hultzen, LHP/1B/OF, Junior, Virginia
- 2010 – Mike McGee, RHP/OF, Junior, Florida State
About the College Baseball Foundation
The purpose of the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) is to preserve, elevate and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us, and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.
The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Support for the College Baseball Hall of Fame will help preserve the rich history of the sport for future generations. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible and can be made via this link on the organization’s website.
The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation’s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence Award.
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
The College Baseball Hall of Fame will establish a physical location in Overland Park, Kan., in early 2026. Located within the iconic Museum at Prairiefire, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will serve as a shared community asset, deepening connections to the nation's favorite pastime through a dynamic and ever-evolving space for college baseball enthusiasts to celebrate the sport's rich past, present and future.