SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

SPARTANBURG, SC – The Citadel senior Michael Gibson was named SoCon Baseball Player of the Week and Mercer junior Miguel Hugas was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week following games played from April 20 through April 26.

Gibson (Rock Hill, SC. / Northwestern HS) was a two-way star for the Bulldogs last week, batting .500 with four runs scored, four stolen bases, five RBI, and a home run at the plate to power a SoCon series win over UNC Greensboro. The righthander also fanned five batters in 2.1 innings of work out of the bullpen on Friday to pick up a save in a 2-1 win over the Spartans. Gibson started the week with a 1-for-3 effort and a two-run home run in a 10-3 win at Georgia Southern, then followed with a 2-for-3 effort in the Friday night win. He went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI in Saturday’s win over the Spartans and collected one hit in Sunday’s finale.

Gibson has been valuable for The Citadel this season, batting .347 with a .467 on base percentage at the plate, while going 3-2 on the mound with five saves.

Hugas (Caracas, Venezuela / Shaler Area HS) tossed 7.0 innings and allowed just three hits and no earned runs to pick up a 5-1 win over Wofford on Friday, sparking the Bears to a series win – and Wofford’s first series loss of the season. Hugas fanned five Terriers, walked just one and threw 90 pitches in the victory. It was the second-longest outing of the season for Hugas, who hurled 8.0 innings vs. Tennessee Tech on March 14.

Hugas is 7-2 this season with a 5.79 ERA in 56.0 innings of work. He has fanned 39 batters so far in 2026.

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Cade Carr (Samford), Jacob Dilley (UNC Greensboro), Chris Katz (Mercer), Jamie Palmese (ETSU), Cole Raile (VMI), Trey Spees (Western Carolina).

Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Owen Austin (Western Carolina), Mason Blanche (Samford), Noah Chapman (UNC Greensboro), Jim Douthat (VMI), Michael Harpster (ETSU), Will Holmes (The Citadel).

2025-26 SoCon Player of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Quarless, R-So., Western Carolina (C, Winston-Salem, NC)

Feb. 23 – Braydon Kersey, Jr., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

Mar. 2 – Titan Kamaka, Sr., Mercer (SS, Orlando, FL)

Mar. 9 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 16 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 23 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Mar. 30 – Parker McDonald, Sr., Samford (3B, Tallahassee, FL)

Apr. 6 – Ben Timblin, So., Wofford (Signal Mountain, TN)

Apr. 13 – Jaylen Jones, R-Fr., Western Carolina (Loganville, GA)

Apr. 20 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Apr. 27 – Michael Gibson, Sr., The Citadel (DH/P, Rock Hill, SC)

2025-26 SoCon Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Marble, Jr., Samford (RHP, Hurley, MS)

Feb. 23 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Mar. 2 – Bryce Coulter, Jr., The Citadel (RHP, Sumter, SC)

Mar. 9 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Mar. 16 – Carter Burnette, So., Western Carolina (RHP, Asheville, NC)

Mar. 23 – Joseph Lee, Sr., Samford (RHP, San Jose, CA)

Mar. 30 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Apr. 6 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Apr. 13 – Alec Bouchard, Jr., Wofford (RHP, Soddy Daisy, TN)

Apr. 20 – Garrett Lambert, R-Fr., Mercer (RHP, Lilburn, GA)

Apr. 27 – Miguel Hugas, Jr., Mercer (RHP, Caracas, Venezuela)