Chippewa Valley Times

Cole Hinkel, a senior from Shoreview, Minnesota, has been named UW-Eau Claire Athletics' Blugold of the Week, an honor presented by BSN Sports/Nike. Hinkel is majoring in Marketing and Management and is recognized for his achievements both on the baseball field and in his studies.

Reflecting on his choice to attend UW-Eau Claire, Hinkel said, "Eau Claire allowed me to compete at a high level both on the baseball diamond and in the classroom." When asked about managing the demands of being a student-athlete, he emphasized, "Being organized is key to balancing all the responsibilities that comes with being a student-athlete."

Hinkel is proud of his performance on April 24, 2024, when he pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings against Northland College, contributing to a victory. In regard to his favorite pre/post competition snack, he mentioned, "Apples." Hinkel's aspirational role is to become an "Account Manager for a fortune 500 organization" and he dreams of visiting "Kyoto, Japan." Given a chance, he would choose to spend the day with "Joe Mauer."

His advice to fellow Blugold student-athletes is, "Enjoy every second of each practice, game, team meeting, travel day, etc. These past four years have gone by too fast."

Patrick Reilly, Head Baseball Coach, praised Hinkel, stating, "Cole is what every student-athlete should aspire to be. Works and doesn't need recognition. Gets results and doesn't need the affirmation. He is going to be successful in whatever he chooses because of his consistent work ethic and ability to be positive. We are thrilled to have him as a part of the program."

UW-Eau Claire encourages fans to follow the Blugolds all season at Blugolds.com or via the Blugold Sports app.