Junior infielder Murray White IV is currently leading the High Point University baseball team with a .440 batting average and three home runs. He hit .529 in the Panthers weekend series against Fairleigh Dickinson and racked up four RBI on two homers and two doubles to earn Student-Athlete Feature honors. Each week throughout the athletic year a student-athlete who has done something significant or unique will be featured on highpointpanthers.com.

White is currently tied for the Big South lead with three home runs on the season. His first of the season, at Charlotte was also the first of his career. With two outs, White launched the 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for his first career homer.

“It all happened really fast,” White said. “I hit it, rounded the bases, went back to the dugout and got ready to go play defense. I don't really remember it.”

White is HPU's everyday third baseman this season after appearing in just 12 games as a sophomore. He gained around 20 pounds in the off season and focused his summer on improving as a baseball player.

“I played over 50 games during summer ball in Thomasville and lifted as often as I could. I really just put in time in the weight room and playing summer ball and it has paid off.”

Not only has White improved personally, but he said the team as a whole is better and much of that is a credit to second year head coach Craig Cozart and his staff.

“I think in the second year their philosophies and way of doing things is really starting to sink in with the team,” White said. “We are more focused on and off the field and I definitely wouldn't be hitting as well without the scouting reports from coach Peters.”

For some of his teammates having family at the game is a luxury since they live as far away as Wisconsin or Illinois but for White having his parents at the stadium is an everyday occurrence. White grew up in High Point and attended Ledford High School.

“I like going to school close to home,” White said. “I live on campus so I get to be out on my own but my parents can still come see me play. My Dad has been to every one of my college games. He plans business trips around them so he can even see me on the road. I really like having them there.”

White said another thing he and his father share is a love for golf. His father was a golfer at Gardner-Webb and Murray said he tries to golf as often as he can.

“I really enjoy going golfing,” White said. “But it isn't true when people say it is relaxing. It is fun but it can also be really frustrating when it isn't going well. There is one shot every time though, one really good shot that gets you coming back because you think maybe you are getting good at it.”

When White isn't wearing his HPU hat he usually has on a Minnesota Twins hat, his favorite team, which might seem like an odd choice for a North Carolina native.

“When I was really young there was discussion of bringing a MLB team to the Triad. One of the teams that was mentioned was the Twins so I started following the them because I thought they would be our team. They didn't come but I like being a Twins fan.”