SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford infielder John Dempsey and The Citadel right-hander Devin Beckley have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games from March 14-20. The selections are made by the league office.
 
Dempsey started in five games last week, batting .637 and scoring 10 total runs with four doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs in the Terriers’ games against Lafayette, Cincinnati and Belmont. He opened the week going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double and one RBI in Wofford’s 19-1 victory over the Leopards on Monday, March 14, before going 3-for-3 with one double, one home run and two RBIs in the Terriers’ 8-1 win over Cincinnati on Tuesday, March 15. In the Terriers’ 14-5 series-opening win over the Bruins on Friday, March 18, the senior infielder went 4-for-5 with two doubles, one home run and one RBI, and in Wofford’s 6-5 loss to Belmont the following day, he went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two home runs to notch his third and fourth long balls of the week and record his first multi-homer affair of the 2022 campaign. He finished the week going 0-for-3 with one walk in the Terriers’ 8-2 win over the Bruins on Sunday. The Potomac, Maryland, native had an on-base percentage of .667, slugged 1.474 on the week and was successful on his lone stolen base attempt, a theft of home on a double steal against Cincinnati.
 
Wofford (13-8) returns to Spartanburg, South Carolina, this week, playing across town at USC Upstate on Tuesday, March 22, at 5 p.m. ET before returning to Russell C. King Field on Friday, March 25, to play Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m. ET.

Beckley threw nine total innings in his only appearance for The Citadel last week, tossing a complete-game, three-hit shutout and striking out eight batters in the Bulldogs’ 4-0 win over St. Peter’s on Friday, March 18. The graduate from Camden, South Carolina, enticed inning-ending double plays in the first, fourth and fifth innings and did not allow a baserunner to get past second base. He allowed a one-out single in the first inning and then did not allow another hit until back-to-back singles in the eighth. The effort marked the first complete-game shutout for a Bulldog pitcher since Shane Connolly threw a four-hit shutout against VMI on March 23, 2019.

The Citadel (13-6) returns to action on Tuesday, welcoming South Carolina to Riley Park in Charleston, South Carolina, for a 7 p.m. ET game before hosting George Mason for a three-game series on March 25-27.  

Also nominated for player of the week: Ryan McCarthy (The Citadel), Cam Norgren (ETSU), Treyson Hughes (Mercer), Greg Hardison (UNCG), Kaden Dreier (Samford), Brett Cook (VMI) and Will Prater (Western Carolina).
 
Also nominated for pitcher of the week: Landon Smiddy (ETSU), Jackson Kelley (Mercer), Austin Parsley (UNCG), Brody Westbrooks (Samford), Dawson Elder (Western Carolina) and Dalton Rhadans (Wofford).
 
2022 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 21             Hogan Windish, Jr., INF, UNCG
Feb. 28             Cole Simpson, Sr., OF, The Citadel
March 7             Justin Starke, R-So., INF, VMI
March 14          Zach Ketterman, So., INF, Western Carolina
March 21           John Dempsey, Sr., INF, Wofford
 
2022 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 21             Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
Feb. 28             Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
March 7             Matthew Marchal, Jr., Wofford
March 14           Zach Kirby, Sr., ETSU
March 21           Devin Beckley, Gr., The Citadel