TUSCON, Ariz. – Mercer’s Le Bassett and Samford’s Samuel Strickland were named to the 2019 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America Third Team, Collegiate Baseball announced Monday afternoon.

Bassett was named to the publication’s third team as a second baseman. The Tifton, Georgia, native anchored the middle of Mercer’s lineup last season with a program freshman record of 17 homeruns and 60 runs batted in. While used primarily as the designated hitter last spring, he batted .282 with 42 hits, 33 runs and a slugging percentage of .678 while starting 39 of 48 games. He finished the 2018 season with Freshman All-American honors from three publications, including Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Baseball America.

Stickland was named to the publication’s third team as a left-handed pitcher. He posted a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 2.33 and a team-best 87 strikeouts during the 2018 season. The Birmingham, Alabama, native held opposing hitters to a SoCon-best .177 batting average, ranking second in the league with five conference wins and only allowing a total of 15 walks over 81 innings of work. Last season, Strickland was named the Southern Conference’s Freshman of the Year as well as named to five different Freshman All-America teams.

To see the full team, click here.