SoCon Baseball Player, Pitcher of the Week Announced

Western Carolina’s Needham and UNCG’s Peissel Cowan Honored

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina designated hitter Drew Needham and UNCG right-hander Julien Peissel have been named the Southern Conference baseball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all competition from May 13-19. The awards are selected by the league office.

Needham hit .538 (7-of-13) over a three-game span last week. He recorded four extra-base hits including two doubles and a pair of home runs. The Liberty, North Carolina, native posted a 1.154 slugging percentage on the week with six runs scored and five RBIs as the Catamounts won their three-game series over the Keydets. Needham added three walks and an HBP to boast a team-best .647 on-base percentage. He collected hits in all three games as part of a four-game hitting streak. Two of his games were three-hit efforts, as he went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in Thursday's 8-4 series-opening win. Needham was 1-for-3 with two walks and an HBP with a pair of RBI in Saturday's 16-6 win in game one of the doubleheader before finishing 3-for-5 in the final game of the regular season. He homered and doubled with two RBIs including a ninth-inning two-base RBI- hit that tied the game at eight.
Peissel, who claims the accolade for the second time this season, improved to 4-2 on the season by tossing six innings with one run allowed on five hits in the Spartans’ 9-1 win over USC Upstate last Friday (May 17). He posted five strikeouts and walked just one batter. The Hickory, North Carolina, native limited USC Upstate hitters to a .217 batting-average-against. He currently ranks sixth in the SoCon with a 4.68 ERA.
No. 4 seed Western Carolina (28-24, 13-8 SoCon) will face the winner of No. 5 seed Wofford (35-17, 12-8) and eighth-seeded The Citadel (21-31, 3-18) on Thursday (May 23) in the second round of the SoCon Championship. Top-seeded UNCG (33-19, 15-6) will see its first action at the tournament on Friday when it takes on the winner of game three.

Other nominees for player of the week: Blake Jacklin, (ETSU), Luke Holland (UNCG), Trey Morgan (VMI) and Daniel Jackson (Wofford)

Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Nathan Hickman (ETSU), Jack Thompson (VMI), Gavin Mortenson (Western Carolina) and John Gray (Wofford)

2024 SoCon Baseball Players of the Week
Feb. 19                            Caleb Cozart, Sr., INF, UNCG
Feb. 26           Parker Lester, Jr., 1B, Mercer
March 4         Garrett Howe, Sr., INF, Samford
March 11       Dixon Black, Jr., 3B, Wofford
March 18       Nate Stocum, Sr., OF, Western Carolina
March 25       Andrew Bennett, Sr., OF, Samford
April 1           Ty Dalley, So., OF, Mercer
April 8           Marshall Toole, Jr., OF, Wofford
April 15           Zach Ketterman, Sr., INF, Western Carolina
April 22           Zach Ketterman, Sr., INF, Western Carolina
April 29           Caleb Cozart, Sr., INF, UNCG
May 6           Garrett Howe, Sr., INF, Samford
May 13            Cameron Sisneros,1B, Sr., ETSU
May 20           Drew Needham, DH, Sr., Western Carolina
2024 SoCon Baseball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 19                           Michael Ross, Sr., RHP, Samford
Feb. 26           Julien Peissel, So., RHP, UNCG
March 4       Braden Hofmeyer, Jr., RHP, Wofford
March 11       Graham Yntema, Sr., LHP, Mercer
March 18       Jonathan Todd, Sr., RHP, Western Carolina
March 25       Rob Ready, Jr., RHP, UNCG
April 1           Alex Flood, Gr., RHP, Samford
April 8           Michael Ross, Sr., RHP, Samford
April 15           Carson Lore, Jr., RHP, Samford
April 22           Zac Cowan, So., RHP, Wofford
April 29           Jack Thompson, Sr., RHP, VMI
May 6           Michael Ross, Sr., RHP, Samford
May 13           Zac Cowan, So., RHP, Wofford
May 20           Julien Peissel, So, RHP, UNCG