May 19, 2025
Dugle Named 2025 NCCAA Hank Burbridge Award Recipient
GREENVILLE, S.C. --- The National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) recently announced Asbury baseball graduate student Kaden Dugle as the NCCAA 2025 Hank Burbridge Award Recipient for Baseball. AU baseball 22' graduate, Kaiden Zacharias, received the honor in 2022, marking the second time in four seasons Asbury baseball has received the esteemed accomplishment.
Award Description
Hank Burbridge was the baseball coach at Spring Arbor University for 40 years and amassed a record of 1003 wins and 519 losses. Hank was named NCCAA District/Regional Coach of the Year twelve times, NCCAA National Coach of the Year on four occasions, and was inducted into the NCCAA Hall of Fame in 1993. His Cougar baseball teams won multiple NCCAA and NAIA District Championships and were crowned NCCAA National Champions in 1992, 1993, and 1998. Hank was a mentor and leader in NCCAA and NAIA baseball networks as well as within USA Baseball. He never missed an opportunity to share Christ or to encourage all who came in contact with him. The NCCAA is proud to present this award in recognition of Hank Burbridge's legacy of service.
"Kaden is a natural-born leader, seen in the classroom and on the field," said Asbury baseball head coach Manny Cervantes. "It is rare that a student-athlete of Kaden's stature can balance a full-time job, being a full-time college baseball player, and be a full-time master's student while also leading as a team captain. Kaden balances all of these commitments daily while leading his team in almost every statistical category."
A native of Shelbyville, Ky., and student in the Asbury education graduate program, Dugle also serves full-time as an elementary physical education teacher in Nicholasville, Ky. The leader and captain of the 2025 Asbury baseball team ended his career at AU with a school record 27 home runs while hitting over .300 in his career.
"My time at Asbury has been the best years of my life," said Dugle. "I have grown immensely as a baseball player, student, and a man. I am forever grateful to Coach Cervantes for bringing me to this brotherhood. It has been a rewarding journey."
Dugle has a career fielding percentage of .970 as an infielder and has been incredibly reliable from the moment he stepped on campus for the Eagles. Dugle is a three-time NCCAA Mideast All-Regional Second Team member and has earned Asbury and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete honors three times each.
Despite his success on the field, Kaden's heart to serve kids is what stands out among those who know him. In addition to teaching and coaching, he volunteers at a local baseball league in Lexington for disabled kids called Miracle League, and runs an after-school program for fourth and fifth-grade boys called Young Man's Club.
Coach Cervantes received the award on behalf of Kaden at the 2025 NCCAA Baseball World Series Worship Service on May 16 in Kansas City, Mo. Cervantes serves as the NCCAA Baseball National Chair.
View the video of Kaden's response to receiving the award here.
View the full story from the NCCAA here.
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