Trio of SoCon Baseball Players Honored

Elon closer Thomas Girdwood, Furman designated hitter Reese Wade and Wofford outfielder Jake Williams have been named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team as chosen by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, it was announced today.

In his rookie season, Girdwood posted a 5-2 record, 10 saves and a 4.15 ERA. His 10 saves rank him in a tie for second on the school's single-season chart and in a tie for fourth on the program's career list. He made 29 appearances this year, the fifth-most in the history of Elon baseball.  Girdwood threw 26.0 innings, walking just 19 and striking out 31 hitters. Opponents batted just .233 off of the First Team All-SoCon selection.

Wade hit .401 this season and was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in a balloting by league media. In addition he garnered second team all-conference honors as a designated hitter by both league coaches and media. In 42 starts, the Dallas, Texas, native went 57-for-142 at the plate with one home run and 25 RBI while helping Furman to a 33-24 record. The Paladins posted a 17-10 mark and third place regular season finish in league play. Furman’s 33 victories this spring marked a new season program standard.

Williams, a freshman from Greer, South Carolina and a graduate of Riverside High School, was second on the team with a .348 batting average. He started all 53 games played and was also third on the team with 10 home runs and 111 total bases. His .613 slugging percentage led the team.