SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis and Wofford right-hander Matthew Milburn have been voted the Southern Conference baseball preseason player and pitcher of the year, respectively, in voting of the nine league head coaches. Lewis is among five preseason All-Americans that highlight the SoCon baseball all-conference teams.
All nine SoCon baseball schools were represented on the preseason teams. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Samford, which has played in four of the last five SoCon tournament title games, put a league-high seven players on the two preseason squads, including a SoCon-best four on the first team. The Bulldogs paced the conference in preseason picks for the second straight year and were the coaches’ preseason pick to win the league.
ETSU, Mercer and Wofford had three preseason all-conference selections each.
Mercer’s Lewis, the reigning SoCon Player of the Year, has earned preseason All-America honors from numerous organizations, taking first-team distinction from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com. The junior from Snellville, Ga., led the SoCon in batting average (.367), slugging percentage (.667) and home runs (17) last season and finished fifth in RBIs with 56. Lewis won the Gregg Olson Breakout Player of the Year Award and was a second-team All-American en route to helping the Bears to the SoCon regular-season and tournament titles in their first year in the league.
Lewis, who earned the maximum possible points in voting for his outfield position on the preseason squad and for the preseason player of the year honor, was joined on the preseason first team by teammate Matt Meeder at shortstop. Outfielder Jackson Ware earned a spot on the second team for the Bears, who were the media’s pick to win the 2016 SoCon title.
Wofford’s Matthew Milburn went 10-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 2015, earning all-conference honors and leading the league in wins and finishing second in innings pitched with 102. He struck out 87 batters and allowed opposing hitters to hit just .272 against him, good for eighth in the SoCon. The senior from Dallas, Texas, is part of a Terrier pitching staff that swept all three first-team preseason pitching spots, as he was joined on the squad by fellow starter Adam Scott and closer Will Stillman, who was taken in the 29th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox after his 2015 all-conference campaign but elected to return to Wofford for his senior season. Stillman led the SoCon with 15 saves last season.
Samford’s Alex Lee (first base), Hunter Swilling (third base), Heath Quinn (outfield) and Austin Edens (designated hitter) earned spots on the preseason first team after all-conference 2015 campaigns. Swilling, Quinn and Edens have each earned preseason All-America honors heading into the season. Edens, the 2015 SoCon Freshman of the Year, was named a first-team freshman All-American last year.
The Bulldogs put three players on the preseason second team in catcher Richard Greene, second baseman Frankie Navarrete and outfielder T.J. Dixon.
Western Carolina placed two players on the preseason first team in catcher Danny Bermudez and outfielder Matt Smith. Bermudez is a preseason first-teamer for the second straight year, while his selection gives the Catamounts the preseason pick at catcher for three straight seasons.
ETSU second baseman Trey York rounds out the first team, while teammates Kevin Phillips (first base) and Chris Cook (shortstop) took second-team spots. Phillips was a preseason All-America third-team pick by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger.
The Citadel and UNCG had a pair of second-team picks each. Starting pitcher JP Sears and outfielder Austin Mapes represented the Bulldogs, while third baseman Collin Woody and designated hitter Devin Ruiz took the honor for the Spartans.
Furman starting pitcher Will Gaddis and VMI reliever Taylor Edens completed the second team.
The 2015 season opens for all nine league teams on Friday, Feb. 19. This season’s SoCon Baseball Championship will return to Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., from May 24-29 and will include all nine teams.
2016 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Kyle Lewis, Jr., OF, Mercer
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Matthew Milburn, Sr., RHP, Wofford
First Team
SP Matthew Milburn, Wofford
SP Adam Scott, Wofford
RP Will Stillman, Wofford
C Danny Bermudez, Western Carolina
1B Alex Lee, Samford
2B Trey York, ETSU
SS Matt Meeder, Mercer
3B Hunter Swilling, Samford
OF Kyle Lewis, Mercer
OF Heath Quinn, Samford
OF Matt Smith, Western Carolina
DH Austin Edens, Samford
Second Team
SP JP Sears, The Citadel
SP Will Gaddis, Furman
RP Taylor Edens, VMI
C Richard Greene, Samford
1B Kevin Phillips, ETSU
2B Frankie Navarrete, Samford
SS Chris Cook, ETSU
3B Collin Woody, UNCG
OF Austin Mapes, The Citadel
OF Jackson Ware, Mercer
OF T.J. Dixon, Samford
DH Devin Ruiz, UNCG
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