Varea Costello, University of Dallas, Baseball

VAREA COSTELLO OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS, a senior catcher on the men’s baseball team from Anchorage, Alaska, has been selected as the SCAC Character & Community Male Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending May 6, 2012.

A theology Major with a Pre-Med concentration, Costello sports a cumulative GPA of 3.81 and has earned a place on the Dean's List at least once each semester in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. His academic accomplishments, including passing his Theology Comprehensive Exams with distinction, qualified him as a finalist for the Sister Clodovia Pre-Medical Scholarship. 

On the baseball diamond, Costello has also been impressive, earning himself a selection as a USCAA All-American in 2011. Starting every one of the 34 games he played for the Crusaders this season, Costello batted .248, scored 18 runs and batted in 17 more. He also led the team in times hit by pitch with 12. Behind the plate, Costello posted a .990 fielding percentage, good for second best on the team, and caught 12 potential base stealers. 

Beyond his prowess on the field and in the classroom, Costello is dedicated to sharing his ability and the benefits of his hard work with others. Academically, he has helped his fellow students as an English Tutor in Rome, Italy, in 2009 and a Biology Lab Assistant and Tutor since 2011. Athletically, Costello has passed his baseball knowledge on to the next generation as a Youth Baseball Coach during the summers of 2009 and 2010. Medically, he has been an intern with the Campus Physician in 2010 and has volunteered in the McAllen Medical Center Emergency Room during that summer of 2010.

It is rare that someone comes to define what it means to be a student-athlete, and Costello has done exactly that for four years. Unsatisfied with keeping his talents to himself, he has shared his time and knowledge with others throughout his career and will continue to do so as he is expected to enroll next year at the Rocky Vista School of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colo., intending to specialize in pediatrics. Costello hopes to qualify for the Health Professional Scholarship Program offered by the United States Navy, as long as he keeps his rough and tumble toughness on the baseball diamond and out of the pediatrician’s office.