The Citadel’s Walsh named all-region
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Citadel senior Connor Walsh was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Atlantic All-Region second team, the organization announced Wednesday.
The senior left-hander made appearances on the mound and at first base but predominantly played in the outfield for the Bulldogs.
Over his career at The Citadel, Walsh held a .320 batting average and boasted a slugging percentage of .509. He accounted for 66 RBIs while recording 86 hits and scoring 51 runs. As a member of the Bulldog bullpen, Walsh made 19 appearances. He pitched 16 2/3 innings, in which he recorded an ERA of 4.32 while striking out 11 batters.
In the 2015 season, Walsh was named to the All-Southern Conference first team for his work in the outfield and was named Player of the Week for May 11 by both the conference and Louisville Slugger. Walsh led the team in doubles (16), triples (three), runs scored (48), RBIs (60), hits (76), total bases (125), batting average (.341) and slugging percentage (.561) and appeared in all 58 games in the season.
The 2015 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA All-Region teams are voted on by members of the ABCA, the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level.
ETSU’s York earns all-region honors
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – ETSU junior Trey York was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-Region team, which was released by the committee on Wednesday. York received second-team honors as a second baseman in the South Region.
York, a second-team All-SoCon selection, hit .355 (75-211) with 15 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 55 runs scored and 51 RBIs in 56 games for the Buccaneers in 2015. The Knoxville, Tenn., native led the SoCon in triples and ranked fourth in batting average, fifth in slugging (.611) and on-base percentage (.437), tied for fifth in runs scored, ranked ninth in total bases (129) and was 10th in hits and RBIs.
The Buccaneer slugger recorded at least one hit in 43 games this past season, including seven three-hit games, which tied a career high. York became just the sixth player in program history to record two triples in one game (at USC Upstate, Feb. 22) and belted two home runs against Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 14 at Thomas Stadium.
York was named SoCon Player of the Month (February), received a pair of conference player of the week honors, and was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week after a dominating performance to open the 2015 campaign. In addition, York was placed on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list back in April.
Mercer’s Lewis earns All-America, all-region honors
MACON, Ga. – Mercer University sophomore Kyle Lewis added another All-America honor to his 2015 awards haul, as he was named a Second Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday. He also earned second-team All-South Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.
Lewis, who was also named to the Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team this season, emerged as one of the elite hitters in college baseball during his first year as a full-time starter. The Snellville, Ga., product fell just shy of the Southern Conference triple crown, topping the conference in batting average (.367) and home runs (17) while finishing fifth in RBIs (56) on his way to the league’s Player of the Year honors.
The 6-foot-4 centerfielder is the fourth Bear in the last four years to earn the All-America honor, joining two-time recipient Nick Backlund (2012 and 2013) and 2013 honoree Chesny Young.
A national finalist for the Gregg Olson Award, Lewis also led the SoCon in slugging percentage and total bases in 2015, while posting 28 multiple-hit performances and 15 multiple-RBI efforts.
Samford’s Edens earns all-region honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford freshman designated hitter Austin Edens was named second-team All-South Region when the American Baseball Coaches Association released its ABCA/Rawlings All-Region teams Wednesday afternoon.
This is the latest in a string of honors Edens has received following the 2015 season. Edens has been named Freshman All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He has also been named the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year, and he was named to the league's All-SoCon team.
Edens led Samford and ranked third in the Southern Conference with a .357 batting average, and he led the squad and ranked second in the league in slugging percentage at .662. He was also the team leader and ranked fourth in the league in on-base percentage at .442.
Edens also ranked in the top 10 in the SoCon in home runs (T-2nd, 16), total bases (3rd, 141), doubles (T-6th, 17), walks (T-7th, 30) and RBIs (9th, 54). Throughout the season, Edens produced 22 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games.
During his freshman season, Edens helped lead Samford to a second-place finish in the SoCon standings with a 14-10 league mark. The team posted an overall record of 32-26 and reached the title game of the SoCon tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.