A true student of the game, Alex Cherney was one of the best hitters to don a Buccaneer uniform in Beloit College baseball history. A pure line drive hitter from Phoenix, Arizona, Cherney made his debut with the Bucs in 1994.
His consistency at the plate was highly respected across the league throughout his career. “He was the guy other teams didn’t want at the plate with the game on the line,” noted Coach Dave DeGeorge.
Cherney’s impact on the team was felt immediately and by his sophomore season he was garnering conference accolades. A designated hitter for the duration of his four-year career at Beloit, Cherney was selected to the All-Midwest Conference North Division squad three times including receiving first team honors in 1995 after helping the Buccaneers to a league tournament appearance. Despite already earning first team recognition as a sophomore, Cherney’s breakout season came in 1996.
As a junior, Cherney solidified his place in program history writing his name into the Beloit College Baseball record book in multiple season categories including hits, total bases and runs batted in. He was a First Team All-MWC North pick for the second consecutive season after hitting .442. Following his 1996 campaign, Cherney was named a Preseason All-American and selected as a “Player to Watch” by Collegiate Baseball magazine heading into his senior season where he earned Second Team All-MWC honors.
At the time of his graduation, Cherney had eclipsed the top mark in program history with ten homeruns, which still ranks among the top five. He was the team’s top hitter with the highest batting average and most hits in 1995 and 1996 adding the RBI title in 1996 and posting the most doubles in 1997 further cementing his place as one of the best hitters in Beloit College history.
Cherney received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Beloit College, went on to earn a Master’s in Physical Education from Arizona State University, and continues to use and pass on his knowledge of the game as the Head Coach at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.
