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Samford Tabbed as Favorite to Win SoCon Baseball Title
VMI Third Baseman Justin Starke Named Preseason Player of the Year
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Defending regular season and tournament champion Samford has been tabbed the favorite to claim the 2024 Southern Conference baseball crown, as voted on by all eight of the league’s coaches. VMI third baseman Justin Starke was voted preseason player of the year, while Samford junior Brooks Rice was named the preseason pitcher of the year.
Fourteen-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. The first team features an additional starting pitcher and the second team features an additional second baseman and shortstop due to a tie in the voting.
Samford collected 49 points and all seven available first-place votes in the coaches poll after fourth-year head coach Tony David’s Bulldogs went 37-25 overall and 15-6 in league play last season.
The Bulldogs landed seven players on the preseason all-conference teams, including three first-team selections. Rice went 4-3 in 11 starting appearances last season at Northwest Mississippi Community College. The right-hander posted a 4.83 ERA, while striking out 58 batters over 59.2 innings of work, holding opposing hitters to a .234 batting average. Rice was joined on the preseason first team by starting pitcher Michael Ross, who missed last season due to an injury, but posted a 7-1 record with a 3.77 ERA in 15 appearances during the 2022 campaign. Senior second baseman John Anderson, who led the SoCon with 22 home runs a season ago, rounded out Samford’s first-team selections. Starting hurlers Will Lynch and Jake Holifield, along with catcher Lucas Steele and outfielder Josh Rodriguez were second-team picks.
VMI’s Starke is the preseason player of the year after leading the conference with a .392 batting average and ranked in the top 10 in ten offensive categories.
Close behind Samford in the coaches poll was Mercer for the second consecutive year. The Bears earned 42 points, with starting pitcher Colton Cosper, outfielder Ty Dalley and designated hitter Jackson Cherry all earning spots on the first team. Starting pitcher Wes Franklin captured a second-team nod.
Wofford was third in the coaches poll with 33 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Terriers saw starting pitcher Zac Cowan and middle infielders Brice Martinez and Jack Renwick claim spots on the second team.
Western Carolina followed Wofford, finishing fourth in the poll with 25 points. The Catamounts put senior reliever Gavin Mortenson on the first team, with first baseman James Hinson and outfielder Cole Jones collecting second team recognition.
ETSU was fifth in the poll for the second straight year and put senior first baseman Cameron Sisneros on the first team. The Littleton, Colorado, native earned consensus second-team All-SoCon honors following last season after leading the Buccaneers in 11 statistical categories.
UNCG was sixth and was followed by VMI, which also placed five players on the preseason squads, including Starke. Senior catcher Cole Garrett, outfielders Cole Jenkins and Trey Morgan, and senior infielder Ty Swaim all garnered preseason honors.
The Citadel rounded out the poll in eighth place, while seeing a trio of preseason All-SoCon picks, with junior Sam Swygert garnering a spot as a starting pitcher and sophomore Will Holmes earning a first-team nod as a reliever, alongside shortstop Sawyer Reeves.
The 2024 season gets under way for all eight SoCon squads on Friday, Feb. 16.
2024 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Samford (7) 49
2. Mercer 42
3. Wofford (1) 33
4. Western Carolina 25
5. ETSU 24
6. UNCG 23
7. VMI 19
8. The Citadel 9
2024 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year
Justin Starke, Sr., VMI
2024 SoCon Baseball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Brooks Rice, Jr., Samford
2024 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
First Team
SP Sam Swygert, Jr., The Citadel
SP Colton Cosper, Jr., Mercer
SP Brooks Rice, Jr., Samford
SP Michael Ross, Jr., Samford
RP Will Holmes, So., The Citadel
RP Gavin Mortenson, Sr., Western Carolina
C Cole Garrett, Sr., VMI
1B Cameron Sisneros, Sr., ETSU
2B John Anderson, Sr., Samford
SS Sawyer Reeves, Jr., The Citadel
3B Justin Starke, Sr., VMI
OF Ty Dalley, So., Mercer
OF Cole Jenkins, Sr., VMI
OF Trey Morgan, Sr., VMI
DH Jackson Cherry, Sr., Mercer
2024 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
Second Team
SP Rob Ready, Jr., UNCG
SP Will Lynch, Jr., Samford
SP Zac Cowan, So., Wofford
RP Wes Franklin, Sr., Mercer
RP Jake Holifield, Sr., Samford
C Lucas Steele, So., Samford
1B James Hinson, Sr., Western Carolina
2B Ty Swaim, Sr., VMI
2B Brice Martinez, Sr., Wofford
SS Ashton King, Sr., ETSU
SS Jack Renwick, Sr., Wofford
3B Cody Miller, So., ETSU
OF Tommy Barth, Jr., ETSU
OF Josh Rodriguez, Sr., Samford
OF Cole Jones, R-Jr., Western Carolina
DH Nick Iannantone, Sr., ETSU
Fourteen-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. The first team features an additional starting pitcher and the second team features an additional second baseman and shortstop due to a tie in the voting.
Samford collected 49 points and all seven available first-place votes in the coaches poll after fourth-year head coach Tony David’s Bulldogs went 37-25 overall and 15-6 in league play last season.
The Bulldogs landed seven players on the preseason all-conference teams, including three first-team selections. Rice went 4-3 in 11 starting appearances last season at Northwest Mississippi Community College. The right-hander posted a 4.83 ERA, while striking out 58 batters over 59.2 innings of work, holding opposing hitters to a .234 batting average. Rice was joined on the preseason first team by starting pitcher Michael Ross, who missed last season due to an injury, but posted a 7-1 record with a 3.77 ERA in 15 appearances during the 2022 campaign. Senior second baseman John Anderson, who led the SoCon with 22 home runs a season ago, rounded out Samford’s first-team selections. Starting hurlers Will Lynch and Jake Holifield, along with catcher Lucas Steele and outfielder Josh Rodriguez were second-team picks.
VMI’s Starke is the preseason player of the year after leading the conference with a .392 batting average and ranked in the top 10 in ten offensive categories.
Close behind Samford in the coaches poll was Mercer for the second consecutive year. The Bears earned 42 points, with starting pitcher Colton Cosper, outfielder Ty Dalley and designated hitter Jackson Cherry all earning spots on the first team. Starting pitcher Wes Franklin captured a second-team nod.
Wofford was third in the coaches poll with 33 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Terriers saw starting pitcher Zac Cowan and middle infielders Brice Martinez and Jack Renwick claim spots on the second team.
Western Carolina followed Wofford, finishing fourth in the poll with 25 points. The Catamounts put senior reliever Gavin Mortenson on the first team, with first baseman James Hinson and outfielder Cole Jones collecting second team recognition.
ETSU was fifth in the poll for the second straight year and put senior first baseman Cameron Sisneros on the first team. The Littleton, Colorado, native earned consensus second-team All-SoCon honors following last season after leading the Buccaneers in 11 statistical categories.
UNCG was sixth and was followed by VMI, which also placed five players on the preseason squads, including Starke. Senior catcher Cole Garrett, outfielders Cole Jenkins and Trey Morgan, and senior infielder Ty Swaim all garnered preseason honors.
The Citadel rounded out the poll in eighth place, while seeing a trio of preseason All-SoCon picks, with junior Sam Swygert garnering a spot as a starting pitcher and sophomore Will Holmes earning a first-team nod as a reliever, alongside shortstop Sawyer Reeves.
The 2024 season gets under way for all eight SoCon squads on Friday, Feb. 16.
2024 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Samford (7) 49
2. Mercer 42
3. Wofford (1) 33
4. Western Carolina 25
5. ETSU 24
6. UNCG 23
7. VMI 19
8. The Citadel 9
2024 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year
Justin Starke, Sr., VMI
2024 SoCon Baseball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Brooks Rice, Jr., Samford
2024 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
First Team
SP Sam Swygert, Jr., The Citadel
SP Colton Cosper, Jr., Mercer
SP Brooks Rice, Jr., Samford
SP Michael Ross, Jr., Samford
RP Will Holmes, So., The Citadel
RP Gavin Mortenson, Sr., Western Carolina
C Cole Garrett, Sr., VMI
1B Cameron Sisneros, Sr., ETSU
2B John Anderson, Sr., Samford
SS Sawyer Reeves, Jr., The Citadel
3B Justin Starke, Sr., VMI
OF Ty Dalley, So., Mercer
OF Cole Jenkins, Sr., VMI
OF Trey Morgan, Sr., VMI
DH Jackson Cherry, Sr., Mercer
2024 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
Second Team
SP Rob Ready, Jr., UNCG
SP Will Lynch, Jr., Samford
SP Zac Cowan, So., Wofford
RP Wes Franklin, Sr., Mercer
RP Jake Holifield, Sr., Samford
C Lucas Steele, So., Samford
1B James Hinson, Sr., Western Carolina
2B Ty Swaim, Sr., VMI
2B Brice Martinez, Sr., Wofford
SS Ashton King, Sr., ETSU
SS Jack Renwick, Sr., Wofford
3B Cody Miller, So., ETSU
OF Tommy Barth, Jr., ETSU
OF Josh Rodriguez, Sr., Samford
OF Cole Jones, R-Jr., Western Carolina
DH Nick Iannantone, Sr., ETSU