University of Connecticut Athletics
Winkel Brothers Honored 2021 Chirgotis Most Outstanding Collegiate Athlete Award
6/3/2021 2:51:00 PM | Baseball
The American Hellenic Education Progressive Association ("AHEPA"), a membership-based national Greek-American fraternal organization, is pleased to announce that University of Connecticut baseball players, Patrick and Chris Winkel, are the co-winners of the 2021 William J. Chirgotis Most Outstanding Collegiate Athlete Award.
The Chirgotis Award is annually presented by AHEPA to the Most Outstanding Greek-American Collegiate Athlete, male or female.
Brothers Pat and Chris Winkel, of Orange, Connecticut, have both starred for the University of Connecticut Baseball program for a number of years, following illustrious high school careers.Â
Chris Winkel, a five year starter for the UConn Huskies and a captain for three of those seasons, has been a standout first baseman and center fielder. His college career followed a stellar high school career at Amity Regional High School, Orange, Connecticut, where he was an All-State selectee and a member of three State Championship baseball teams, as well as an All-Conference basketball player. He will leave the University of Connecticut with many career milestones in UCONN baseball history, including being ranked with over 200 hits, 4th in All-time games played and 3rd in triples. This season, he was third on the team with a batting average of .306, his 11 home runs were tied with his brother Patrick for team leadership, and his 15 stolen bases led the Huskies, and he was named to the First Team All-Big East baseball team as a center fielder. He was a member of the UConn Dean's List each year, and the honored recipient, twice, of the prestigious Dee Rowe Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
His brother, Patrick, a three year starter at UConn, now a junior, was also a member of two State Championship baseball teams at Amity Regional High School as a 3 time All-State Selectee and the Gatorade Connecticut High School Baseball Player of the Year in 2018. In Patrick's freshman year at UConn, he batted .318 with 30 RBI's and a team leading 7 home runs, and was named to the NCAA Oklahoma All-Regional Team. A Major League baseball draftee for the New York Yankees after high school, he elected to join his brother, Chris, at UCONN, and they have now concluded three seasons playing together; this season, Patrick batted .290 with 42 runs batted in and was selected to the All-Big East second team. Pat was also a member of the Dean's list each of his three (3) years at UCONN.
On three occasions, the Winkel brothers hit home runs in their same game, and in one game, Patrick hit a homer, a Grand Slam and a double for 7 RBI's.
This season the University of Connecticut concluded the regular season with a record of 33-17 and was both the regular season and conference tournament Big-East Champions. UCONN will be participating in the NCAA Baseball tournament.Â
Pat and Chris Winkel are also very involved parishioners at Saint Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church in Orange, Connecticut, serving in the altar, even throughout their college years.
Supreme President George G. Horiatis raved about the selection of the Winkel boys: "These fine young men have not only excelled at the highest level in high school and college, they have also served their schools and faith exceptionally well. I applaud the Athletic Director, Chris G. Atsaves, and the Chairman of the Athletic Awards, Gregory J. Stamos, for this wonderful selection".
Greg Stamos, Chairman of the National Athletic Awards remarked: "I am honored to select Pat and Chris as this year's co-winners. While this award recognizes athletic excellence, which they have attained throughout their athletic careers, they are humble athletes and wonderful team players, and outstanding students as well. This selection is, frankly, a "Grand Slam", using baseball parlance."
Pat and Chris will be recognized for their accomplishments at the AHEPA National Convention in Athens, Greece in July, 2021.
