SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Two-time defending Southern Conference regular-season baseball champion Wofford is the preseason pick to win the league’s 2023 crown in voting of the league’s head coaches and media. Terrier right-hander Matthew Marchal was picked as the Preseason SoCon Pitcher of the Year, while Western Carolina shortstop Pascanel Ferreras is the Preseason SoCon Player of the Year.
 
Twelve-member preseason All-SoCon first and second teams were also selected by the league’s eight head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players or teams.
 
Wofford collected 46 points and five first-place votes in the coaches poll and 130 points and nine first-place votes in the media poll. Two-time defending SoCon Coach of the Year Todd Interdonato’s Terriers went 42-16-1 overall and 16-4-1 in league play last season, setting a program record for overall wins. Wofford also entered the national top-25 rankings for the first time in program history last season.
 
The Terriers placed five players on the preseason all-conference teams, including four first-team selections. Marchal went 7-2 in 18 appearances last season, including 17 starts, with his 2.52 ERA ranking second in the SoCon and first among starters. The senior from Greenville, South Carolina, struck out 93 (third in the SoCon) and walked just 12 in 85 2/3 innings, allowing just a .225 batting average to opposing hitters (fifth in the SoCon).
 
Marchal was joined on the preseason first team by relief pitcher Luke Stephens, first baseman Ryan Galanie, who led the league with five triples, and second baseman Brice Martinez. Outfielder Trey Yunger was a second-team pick.
 
Western Carolina’s Ferreras is the preseason player of the year for the second straight season. The junior from Stone Mountain, Georgia, was fourth in the league with a .362 batting average last season, while his 158 total bases led the league, his 22 doubles were second and his 85 total hits and 60 RBIs both ranked third. Ferreras hit 15 home runs and three triples and scored 57 runs. He was the lone Catamount on this year’s preseason first team, while outfielder Nate Stocum earned a spot on the second team.
 
Right behind Wofford in both the coaches and media polls was Mercer, which also appeared in the national rankings last season and went 40-18 overall for the second 40-win season in school history and first since joining the SoCon. The Bears earned 41 points and two first-place votes from the coaches and 122 points and six first-place votes from the media. Outfielder Treyson Hughes earned a spot on the preseason all-conference first team, while starting pitcher Josh Harlow and outfielder Jozsef Rohrbacher were second-team picks.
 
UNCG, the defending champion of the SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases, was third in the coaches poll with 34 points and the remaining first-place vote, while the Spartans were fourth in the media poll with 102 points and two first-place votes. Third baseman Mitchell Smith, who paced the SoCon with 23 doubles, and reigning tournament Most Outstanding Player outfielder Kennedy Jones, who led the league with 92 hits and 73 RBIs and was fourth with a .367 average, are preseason first-team selections, while catcher Dallas Callahan claimed a spot on the second team.
 
Samford followed UNCG in fourth in the coaches poll with 33 points but edged the Spartans by a point in the media poll with 103 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Bulldogs put starting pitcher Michael Ross on the preseason all-conference first team and had four second-team picks in starting pitcher Jacob Cravey, relief pitcher Alex Goff, first baseman Stephen Klein and second baseman Garrett Staton.
 
ETSU was fifth in both polls and put catcher Noah Webb and outfielder Tommy Barth, the 2022 SoCon Freshman of the Year who was third in the league with a .369 average, on the preseason first team. Garett Wallace earned second-team honors at designated hitter.
 
Western Carolina was sixth in both polls and was followed by VMI and The Citadel in the coaches poll, in that order. The roles were reversed in the media poll, with The Citadel seventh and VMI eighth.
 
VMI had a trio of preseason All-SoCon picks, with Brett Cook earning the first-team nod at DH and shortstop Zac Morris and third baseman Justin Starke claiming second-team honors.
 
The 2023 season gets under way for all eight SoCon squads on Friday, Feb. 17.
 
 
2023 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Wofford (5)	46
2. Mercer (2)	41
3. UNCG (1)	34
4. Samford	33
5. ETSU	25
6. Western Carolina	20
7. VMI	13
8. The Citadel	12

 
2023 SoCon Baseball Preseason Media Poll

Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Wofford (9)	130
2. Mercer (6)	122
3. Samford (1)	103
4. UNCG (2)	102
5. ETSU	68
6. Western Carolina	60
7. The Citadel	35
8. VMI	28

 
2023 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year
Pascanel Ferreras, Jr., SS, Western Carolina
 
2023 SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Matthew Marchal, Sr., RHP, Wofford
 
2023 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
First team
SP – Michael Ross, Jr., Samford
SP – Matthew Marchal, Sr., Wofford
RP – Luke Stephens, Sr., Wofford
C – Noah Webb, Jr., ETSU
1B – Ryan Galanie, Sr., Wofford
2B – Brice Martinez, Jr., Wofford
SS – Pascanel Ferreras, Jr., Western Carolina
3B – Mitchell Smith, Jr., UNCG
OF – Tommy Barth, So., ETSU
OF – Treyson Hughes, So., Mercer
OF – Kennedy Jones, So., UNCG
DH – Brett Cook, Jr., VMI
 
Second team
SP – Josh Harlow, Sr., Mercer
SP – Jacob Cravey, Jr., Samford
RP – Alex Goff, Sr., Samford
C – Dallas Callahan, Sr., UNCG
1B – Stephen Klein, Sr., Samford
2B – Garrett Staton, R-So., Samford
SS – Zac Morris, R-Jr., VMI
3B – Justin Starke, R-Jr., VMI
OF – Jozsef Rohrbacher, Sr., Mercer
OF – Nate Stocum, Jr., Western Carolina
OF – Trey Yunger, Sr., Wofford
DH – Garett Wallace, Sr., ETSU