FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  The Methodist University Department of Athletics on Thursday announced its 2020 Sykes Cup award winner, naming Alex Kachler as the award's newest recipient.

Kachler, a senior catcher, is the fifth baseball player to earn the honor, but the first since Mike Rohr in 1992.

The award, named for former MU soccer coach Mason Sykes, has been presented annually to the University's top student-athlete since 1986. Elected in a vote of the department's coaches, the winner must display outstanding athletic achievement and possess a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Thursday's award announcement extended Kachler's postseason awards roll.

On Wednesday, June 10 he earned his place on the Methodist 2019-20 Scholar-Athlete of the Year list with a perfect 4.00 GPA, as well as a spot -- for the fourth time -- on the USA South Athletic Conference's 2019-20 Academic All-Conference list.

The day before, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released its NCAA Division III Baseball Academic All-America team, with Kachler earning first-team honors. Previously (April 15), CoSIDA had announced that

Kachler was named to the NCAA D-III First Team Academic All-District 5 baseball team, an honor that automatically placed him on the academic All-America ballot

On March 26 he was named the MU Male Senior Athlete of the Year, also in a vote by the department's coaches.

With Thursday's announcement, Kachler becomes the first MU student-athlete to earn the Sykes Cup, MU Scholar-Athlete, and Senior Athlete of the Year awards.

A Preseason D3baseball.com first-team All-American in 2020, his final season was abruptly halted in March by the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A senior campaign that ended after 18 games -- all of which Kachler was on Head Coach Tom Austin's lineup card as the Monarchs' starting catcher -- included six multi-hit games, including a 4-for-5 effort in a 14-3 victory over Hardin-Simmons (Texas) University in Methodist's season-opening weekend at the Rusty Greer/Jackie Moore Classic in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Kachler posted a season-best hitting streak of five games from February 22-29 and was held hitless in only four outings this spring.

In back-to-back games in late February Kachler registered four RBIs in each game, a 25-13 (7-inning) win at Guilford College on Feb. 26 and a 9-3 victory at Averett University (Feb. 29) that was the conference opener for both squads.

Kachler's seven total bases in the Guilford win proved to be a team-best for the shortened spring schedule.