Butte College
News Announcement

Butte College Student-Athlete Named CalHOPE Courage Award Winner

Butte College student-athlete Peter Andrews, a member of the Butte College baseball team, has been named the inaugural recipient of the CalHOPE Courage Award. The award program recognizes inspiring student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity. It is presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press (AP) and CalHOPE, a crisis counseling and support resource for communities impacted by public health emergencies or natural disasters, operated by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

Peter will be recognized on March 10 at a virtual ceremony by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being.

The CalHOPE Courage Award honors student-athletes monthly who fit the award criteria, which may include overcoming the stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships, injury, or life circumstances, particularly during the COVID public health emergency. At the end of each academic year, two honorees will be selected as annual CalHOPE Courage Award winners, and a donation will be made in their names to go toward mental health services at their schools.

Peter Andrews joined the Butte College baseball team for the 2020-21 season following a tremendous career at Pleasant Valley High School. His freshman year began as his father Stephen, a captain of the City of Chico Fire and Rescue Department, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Just a week before his freshman season ended, his father passed away at age 53 due to complications from a brain tumor. In between, the 19-year-old Andrews battled through the stress and anxiety of his father’s illness, plus several nagging injuries and the unusual circumstances of a COVID-shortened 26-game season. Still, he posted an impressive .303 batting average and 17 runs batted in (RBI) in just 66 at-bats for a squad that was ranked number 2 in the state, won the 2021 Golden Valley Conference (GVC) Championship, and finished 23-3 overall. Andrews’ season was capped by being named All-GVC Second Team as the team’s starting right fielder. To fight through the mental trauma, he fully committed to family, school, and baseball. Andrews took 49.5 credits, nearly double the typical class load, and achieved a 3.66 grade point average. When not studying or tending to his family, he grinded in the batting cage, setting goals and pushing himself to overcome the challenges. A starting catcher who also plays outfield, he hit a home run in his first at-bat this season. Through the season’s first 18 games, he leads the team in nearly every offensive category including: a .393 batting average; .580 on-base percentage; .696 slugging percentage; 8 doubles; 3 home runs; and 18 walks. He also ranks second with 18 runs scored and 11 RBI.

“It was the worst year overall, but it helped me. I experienced so many challenges that I wasn’t prepared for, but I was able to work through each of the challenges step by step. Finding a way through the challenges has made me a stronger person today,” said Andrews. “COVID-19 did allow me to see my father a lot more, but from a baseball perspective, we didn’t get to have as much fun as we’re having this year. With everything going on at home, more fun times with my teammates would have certainly helped me get through the tough times.”

“We knew that Peter was going through a lot last season,” said Butte College baseball coach Anthony Ferro. “In addition to the many challenges that COVID-19 presented, he was also facing a number of other circumstances that added stressors to his plate. But Peter showed up every day, and he performed physically and mentally. His family speaks volumes about who he is as a person. He is the definition of a student-athlete and was an integral part of last year’s squad.”

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Stories of all the honorees are available at CalHOPECourageAward.com and via social media on Twitter and Instagram at @CalHOPE_Courage.