FURMAN'S WARFORD NAMED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman pitcher Elliott Warford has been named to the 2012 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team as a relief pitcher, it was announced today by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, which selects the squad.
Warford, a 6-1, 160-pound right-hander, posted a 6-0 record with seven saves and a 3.61 earned run average this spring. His seven saves topped all SoCon freshmen, as did his 31 appearances, with all but three coming in relief. In 52 1/3 innings of work, he surrendered 58 hits and 21 walks while striking out 36.
He earned the start against SoCon regular season champion Appalachian State in league tournament play on May 25, yielding five hits and three runs in the first inning before regaining his composure to blank the tournament No. 1 seed Mountaineers in six of the next seven frames. He ended up allowing 10 hits but struck out a season high eight and did not walk a batter en route to the Paladins' 13-4 victory.
The Ponte Vedra, Fla., product was credited with the victory in Furman's 5-4 triumph over 26th-ranked Georgia in Athens on Apr. 17.
Hoyle Named to Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team
Hickory, N.C., native earned second team All-Southern Conference honors
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina's Jacob Hoyle was today named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team as selected and announced by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Hoyle, who was selected as a designated hitter, was a second team All-Southern Conference selection at the same position and was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team by the league's head coaches following the 2012 season.
Hoyle was one of just four players from the SoCon named to the Freshman All-American team. He was joined by Appalachian State RHP Jamie Nunn, Furman RHP Elliott Warford and catcher Chase Griffin from Georgia Southern on the 96-member team that was selected from all Division I freshmen nationally and listed by position.
Additionally, Hoyle joins a short list of former Catamounts to have been named to the Freshman All-America squad, becoming the fifth WCU player all-time. He joins most recent selection, Ross Heffley (2009), Steven Strausbaugh (2005), Chris Moore (1996) and Phillip Grundy (1991) among the first-year elite in WCU history - all of which were later drafted by Major League Baseball squads.
A native of Hickory, N.C., Hoyle spent the majority of the season as the DH, while also seeing time both at first base and in the outfield for the Catamounts as well as two appearances on the mound. He played in 52 of WCU's 56 games making 47 appearances among the starting lineup.
Hoyle batted .308 during his rookie campaign with a .449 slugging percentage, collecting 57 hits including 14 doubles to rank second on the squad and four home runs. He led Western Carolina with 45 runs driven in on the year - eighth in the SoCon - despite being slowed at mid-season with an oblique strain. He also had a team-high six sacrifice flies.
Nunn Named Freshman All-American
TUCSON, Ariz. - Appalachian State University pitcher Jamie Nunn (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) has been named to the 2012 Louisville Slugger freshman all-America team, Collegiate Baseball newspaper announced on Wednesday.
Nunn is the second freshman all-American in Appalachian history, joining teammate Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian), who received the honor in 2010.
Used as the Mountaineers' primary mid-week starting pitcher and a top option out of the bullpen on weekends, Nunn made 23 appearances with six starts as a true freshman. He was 5-2 with a 4.24 ERA, 45 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 46.2 innings and was a member of the Southern Conference's all-freshman team. The right-hander was especially impressive as a starter, going 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his six starts, highlighted by striking out eight and allowing just one unearned run over six innings in a 6-3 win at Duke on March 13.
Nunn is one of 31 starting pitchers nationwide to earn freshman all-America recognition. He will pitch for the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League this summer before returning to ASU in the fall for his sophomore campaign.
Griffin Named Freshman All-American
TUSCON, Ariz. - After being selected as the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year, Chase Griffin was selected as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Griffin was one of five catchers to receive the honor along with Indiana's Kyle Schwarber and South Carolina's Grayson Greiner.
The Leesburg, Ga., native finished the season hitting .320 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. He became the first Eagle freshman since Steve Walson in 1996 to reach double figures in home runs after launching his 10th against Appalachian State on April 15th.
Griffin not only led the team with that total but led all freshmen in Division I baseball for most of the season. He hit 9 of his 10 home runs during a stretch of 20 games spanning from March 17th to April 15th.
Griffin is the first freshman since Eric Phillips and the only GSU catcher to receive Freshman All-American honors. The last Eagle to be named to Collegiate Baseball's Freshman All-American team was Matt Miller in 2006.