By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Kevin Youkilis has donated a baseball scholarship to his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati.

Youkilis was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001 after spending four years at Cincinnati. He hit .366 with a .499 OBP and 53 homers.

"I am so thankful for the four great years I had as a baseball player and a student at the University of Cincinnati," Youkilis said in a statement released by the school. "UC has always been close to my heart and the pride I have for the Bearcats is endless. I wanted to help give back to UC by donating a scholarship to the baseball program. Without my experiences at the University of Cincinnati, I would not be where I am at today. Hopefully, this scholarship will allow another UC baseball player to excel in life, not just baseball."

Said Bearcats coach Brian Cleary: "Kevin has been very active in supporting a number of great causes, so it's very meaningful that he has decided to also support UC Baseball. Youk's gift is a very visible sign of his love for UC and UC baseball, but it also gives us a great head start in our plan to enhance baseball scholarships. This will positively impact UC Baseball for many years to come and we are thankful for him remaining so close to our program."