IRVING, Texas – Three Southern Conference student-athletes earned third-team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-America recognition, as announced by the NCBWA on Wednesday.

Appalachian State shortstop Will Callaway, College of Charleston pitcher Matt Pegler and Elon catcher Alex Swim all claimed spots on the third team.

Callaway, a senior, started all 59 games at shortstop for Appalachian State in 2012 and hit .320 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 53 RBI, 54 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. He ranked among the national leaders in several statistical categories, including hits (77 - 168th nationally), runs (87th), RBI (66th), steals (51st) and sacrifice flies (six - 57th).

Thanks to the sterling junior campaign, Callaway was named first-team All-Southern Conference and was one of 25 candidates for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is presented to college baseball’s top shortstop.

He is the second Mountaineer in four years to garner preseason All-America recognition, joining Wes Hobson, who was a Louisville Slugger third-team preseason All-American in 2010.

Callaway helped lead Appalachian State to a school-record 41 victories, its first Southern Conference championship in 25 years, its first NCAA regional berth in 26 years and a No. 29 final national ranking in 2012.

The 2013 Mountaineers open the season on Friday, Feb. 15, at NC State.

Senior right-hander Pegler became just the fifth player in CofC history to record a 10-win season as he went 10-2 with a 2.83 ERA last season. He ranked second in the Southern Conference in ERA and third in wins as he was named to the All-SoCon Second Team.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Pegler led the conference in opposing batting average with a mark of .221, as he recorded 66 strikeouts and only 20 walks in 15 starts.

He earned Gainesville All-Regional team honors after throwing a complete game in CofC’s 8-2 win over Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA tournament. Pegler recorded a career-high nine strikeouts and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The Cougars open the 2013 season with a three-game set against Xavier, starting Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at Patriots Point.

As a junior last season, Swim led Elon and tied for third in the Southern Conference with a .357 batting average.  His 86 hits were also a team high and tied for the third-highest hit total ever by an Elon player in a season.  He posted 11 doubles, one triple and three homers while driving in 45 runs and stealing seven bases.

Swim struck out just 13 times in 2011, ranking as the 12th toughest player to strike out in the nation (one strikeout per every 18.5 at bats).  During his personal-best 25-game hitting streak, Swim claimed both NCBWA National Hitter and SoCon Player of the Week on April 2.

His season performance helped him earn team MVP accolades along with first-team All-SoCon and all-state honors.  Swim was selected in the 36th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Entering his senior campaign, Swim ranks in Elon's career top 10 in hits (ninth with 222) and at-bats (10th with 703).  The Greensboro, N.C., native is a career .316 hitter who has scored 113 runs, driven in 118 runs and recorded 36 doubles.

Swim and the Phoenix will open the 2013 season with a 3 p.m. game against Marist on Feb. 15 as part of the Country Inn and Suites Elon Invitational.