Every so often, an award comes along that is about more than batting average, home runs, RBIs, or how many times a guy comes through with a big swing late in a game.

For Louisiana’s Lee Amedee, being awarded the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy  is one of those honors.

And honestly, from a Ragin’ Cajuns fan perspective, this one just feels right.

The Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy is still a fairly new award in college baseball, but it already carries a pretty strong meaning. It was created to recognize college baseball players who are active in their communities, represent their programs the right way, and still handle their business in the classroom and on the field. In other words, it is not just about being a good player. It is about being the kind of person a program is proud to send out into the community wearing its name across his chest.

That is why Amedee’s recognition matters.

This is not some random feel-good mention thrown into a press release. The award is named after Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest hitters baseball has ever seen, but also someone remembered for the way he gave back. Gwynn was a Hall of Famer, a 15-time MLB All-Star, an eight-time batting champion, and a San Diego Padres legend. But this award leans into the other side of his legacy... the service, the charity work, the commitment to kids, and the belief that baseball should be connected to something bigger than itself.

That fits Lee Amedee pretty well.

Amedee was one of nine nominees named to the 2026 Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy “Starting 9.” The award is only in its second year, so this is still a very small group. Chris Stanfield from LSU was the inaugural winner in 2025, which means only one player has actually received the trophy before today. Lee is now number two.

For Louisiana, this also says something about the culture around the program. Amedee is the second Ragin’ Cajun in two years to be named a finalist, joining Jose Torres, who was part of the inaugural group in 2025. That is not a bad little trend to have. You want wins, you want regionals, you want dogpiles, you want packed nights at The Tigue. But you also want players who make the program easy to root for even when the box score is not involved.

And that is where Amedee’s story really stands out.

Amedee has put in more than 1,000 volunteer hours during his time at Louisiana. That number alone is ridiculous. College athletes already have practice, games, travel, class, workouts, study hall, and everything else that goes with the not-so-glamorous part of being a student-athlete. Finding time to give back once or twice is one thing. Doing it over and over again for four years says something totally different.

This was not just showing up for a photo op either. Amedee volunteered for four straight years as a coach with Lafayette Little League. He worked cleanup crews at Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church and Bayou Church. He visited cancer patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Children’s Hospital, including delivering Halloween snacks to kids receiving treatment. He helped at local fire stations, washed fire trucks, assisted with campus move-in day, volunteered at Downtown Alive, helped with youth clinics in Youngsville and Church Point, supported special-needs clinics, worked with Hospice of Acadiana, helped set up Christmas decorations, and even pitched in with cleanup work at the baseball stadium.

That is not one project. That is a pattern.

That is the kind of thing people notice because it is not forced. It is just who a guy is.

And then there is the baseball side of it, because Amedee has been a big part of the Cajuns on the field too. He has been a steady presence at first and third (end everywhere else on the infield at some point), a senior leader, and one of those players who feels like he has been around forever because he stuck with the program and kept showing up. In 2026, he was hitting over .300 when the finalist list was announced, while also bringing extra-base pop, run production, and the type of consistency every lineup needs.

He was also part of some big moments before this season. He made the 2024 NCAA College Station Regional All-Tournament Team, helped Louisiana win the 2024 Sun Belt Tournament title, and was part of a team that pushed into a regional championship game. He also played in the 2023 Miami Regional, so this is not a guy who just appeared out of nowhere. He has been through the grind.

But maybe the best part of his story is the loyalty.

The award write-up noted that Amedee turned down a six-figure opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 11th round last summer to return to Louisiana. In today’s college sports world, where everybody is moving, transferring, chasing deals, or looking for the next thing, that stands out. He stayed at his dream school. He stayed with his teammates. He stayed in Lafayette.

And apparently, when that decision was happening, he was not sitting around making it dramatic. He was in the bleachers at a youth softball championship, cheering on a local team with his teammates.

That might be the most Lee Amedee detail of the whole story.

As fans, we usually get caught up in the obvious stuff. Did he get the big hit? Did he drive in the run? Did he make the play? Did the Cajuns win the series? And look, that stuff matters. We are fans. We care about the scoreboard.

But an honor like this gives you a chance to step back and appreciate the full picture.

And as expected, the entire Amedee family is proud of this tremendous accomplishment. "We are so proud of what Lee has become at UL," said his father Jody. "This has been a humbling, incredible experience in Omaha. Lee has grown so much over the past 4 years as a player, leader and most importantly as a man. The UL family is unbeatable!"

Lee Amedee did not just wear Louisiana across his chest on Friday nights. He carried it into Little League parks, hospital visits, church cleanups, community events, youth clinics, and places where there were no cameras and no standings involved. That is what this award is really about. It recognizes the players who understand that being a college athlete gives you a platform, and then they actually use that platform for something good.

That is why this recognition should make Cajuns fans proud.

Because Lee Amedee represents what you want this program to be about. Tough on the field. Loyal to the university. Present in the community. Good in the classroom. Willing to give his time when nobody is keeping score.

The Tony Gwynn Trophy is about honoring players who reflect Tony Gwynn’s legacy of service and character. Lee embodies that legacy.

And from where we sit as Ragin’ Cajuns fans, it feels like the rest of the country is just catching up to what Lafayette already knew.

Lee Amedee is one of the good ones.