SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford Terriers were selected as the preseason favorites to win the 2022 Southern Conference baseball title in preseason voting by the league’s eight coaches and media. The coaches voted Western Carolina’s Pascanel Ferreras as preseason player of the year and ETSU senior Colby Stuart as preseason pitcher of the year, along with naming a pair of preseason all-conference teams.
 
All eight SoCon baseball schools were represented on the preseason teams. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players. There are 12 players on the first team and 12 players on the second team.
 
The Terriers garnered 48 points and six first-place votes in the coaches poll and 127 points and eight first-place votes from the media to sit atop both polls. Wofford was last picked to win the SoCon baseball crown by the league’s nine head coaches in the 2020 preseason coaches poll. The Terriers clinched the 2021 regular season SoCon title for the first time in school history and finished the season with a 36-21 overall record and 21-9 record in league play.
 
Wofford secured three first-team preseason all-conference selections in relief pitcher Dalton Rhadans, catcher Lawson Hill, and outfielder Nolen Hester and claimed one spot on the second team in outfielder Trey Yunger. Rhadans, a right-handed pitcher and 2021 first-team all-conference honoree, led Wofford with 62 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched, which was second in the conference during the 2021 season. The senior from Acworth, Georgia, had a league-best 2.59 ERA and team-best seven saves, while his 6-0 record had him tied for the team lead in wins. This year’s preseason honor marks Hill’s first season being named to the All-SoCon first team after batting .309 with 68 hits, 41 runs scored, and 43 RBIs last season. The Canton, Georgia, native finished the 2021 campaign second in the conference in walks (40) and second in doubles (17) and concluded the season with 36 starts behind the plate for the Terriers. Hester, who was named to the All-SoCon second team last season, along with Hill, led Wofford with a .363 batting average, posting a team-high 73 hits and 52 runs in his 44 starts at right field. The Rockwall, Texas, native was seventh in the SoCon in batting average (.363), fourth in hits (73), sixth in runs scored (52), and fifth in on-base percentage (.472). 
 
Mercer placed second in both polls, earning 40 points and one first-place vote from the coaches and 113 points and three first-place votes from the media. The Bears have the most all-conference selections, with five, and are represented on this year’s preseason first team by outfielder Bill Knight and on the second team by Luke Sutko (relief pitcher), Angelo DiSpigna (first baseman), David Burke (third baseman) and Colby Thomas (outfielder). Knight started in all 57 games for Mercer last season and batted .325 average with 10 home runs to conclude the season with 74 hits and 59 runs, which both ranked third in the league. Right-handed pitcher Sutko posted a 4.31 ERA, a team-best 12 saves and 58 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched. DiSpigna had a 2.66 batting average last season, including a team-high 15 home runs that ranked third in the conference. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native finished fourth on the team in RBIs with 45 and posted an on-base percentage of .391, while finishing fourth on the team in runs with 44. Burke recorded a .309 batting average in 19 starts for Mercer, including eight RBIs, five doubles, and three home runs. Rounding out the preseason team for Mercer is Thomas, who recorded 10 doubles, 12 home runs, and 37 RBIs last season to conclude the campaign with a .247 batting average and an on-base percentage of .356 with 24 walks.
 
Western Carolina collected 39 points and one first-place vote to place third in the coaches poll and earned 87 points and two first-place votes to place fourth behind Samford in the media poll. The Catamounts tied with Wofford for the second-most preseason all-conference selections with four players. Sophomore shortstop Ferreras, tabbed the 2022 Preseason SoCon Player of the Year and selected a third-team Preseason All-American by the NCBWA, joins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews and second baseman Will Prater on the first team, while designated hitter Daniel Walsh claims a spot on the second team to round out the four Catamounts on the preseason team. Ferreras led the Catamounts in 2021, batting .329 with 70 base hits, including 11 doubles, two triples, and a team-leading 16 home runs, which ranked second in the conference. The Stone Mountain, Georgia, native led the league with 56 RBIs and 133 total bases last season, starting all 49 games at shortstop for Western Carolina. Matthews posted a 6-2 overall record last season with a 3.52 ERA, the sixth-best in the SoCon, and led the Catamounts with 60 strikeouts and an average of 6 1/3 innings per appearance. The Cullowhee, North Carolina, native only allowed seven walks in the 2021 season, which led the conference. Prater secures a spot on the first team after batting a career-best .395 last season with 66 hits, including a team-best 58 singles, five doubles, and three triples. The Dallas, Georgia, native posted 18 multiple-hit games and nine multiple RBI games, while tallying a team-best 27 base hits and a team-high three pinch hits. Walsh earned six starts as the designated hitter last season and concluded the campaign with a .304 batting average, collecting 51 hits, including eight doubles, two triples, and three home runs. The Chico, California, native recorded 33 walks to register a .418 on-base percentage and logged nine stolen bases on 10 attempts.
 
ETSU placed fourth in the coaches poll with 28 points and placed fifth in the media poll behind Western Carolina with 74 points. ETSU’s Stuart (starting pitcher) and Bryce Hodge (designated hitter) were recognized on the preseason all-conference first team, while junior shortstop Ashton King was named to the second team. Stuart, who is this year’s preseason pitcher of the year, made 14 appearances for the Buccaneers and led all starters with a 3.22 ERA and six wins. The Elon, North Carolina, native, recorded 73 strikeouts and allowed 74 hits and 23 walks, holding the opposing hitters to a .238 batting average in 86 2/3 innings pitched. Hodge was third on the team with a .295 batting average and second with a .575 slugging percentage and recorded 40 RBIs, 10 home runs and 11 doubles, while King led the team with 17 doubles and 57 hits and was second on the squad in runs, with 35.
 
UNCG placed fifth in the coaches poll with 25 points and was slotted to finish sixth by the media with 54 points. The Spartans are represented on the preseason All-SoCon second team by Austin Parsley (starting pitcher) and Hogan Windish (second baseman). Parsley, who earned All-SoCon second team honors last season, clinches a spot on this year’s second team after finishing the season with an 8-2 record and a 3.30 ERA in 20 appearances and two starts for UNCG. The senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, struck out 62 batters to lead the Spartans with a season-high six strikeouts, twice. Windish, who was also named to the All-SoCon second team last season, claims a spot on the second team this year after batting .280 with 52 hits, 12 doubles, and 10 home runs in the 2021 campaign. The Jefferson, North Carolina, native is tied for fifth in the SoCon in RBIs (51), leads the conference in hit by pitches (21) and was one of four Spartans to register at least 50 hits.  
 
Samford, which captured the 2021 SoCon tournament title last season, placed sixth in the coaches poll with 19 points and was selected to finish third by the media with 100 points and four first-place votes. The Bulldogs are represented on the preseason All-SoCon first team by Will David (third baseman) and are represented by Kaden Dreier (catcher) on the second team. David posted a .304 batting average, recording nine doubles and 29 RBIs, while Dreier hit .261 with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 28 RBIs.
 
VMI was voted to finish seventh by both the media and coaches. Justin Starke, who was the 2021 SoCon Freshman of the Year, landed on the first-team preseason squad at first base after batting .422 with a .525 on-base percentage and recording nine doubles, one triple and six home runs. The Prince George, Virginia, native ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in batting average and sixth in on-base percentage and led the conference in both categories. The Keydets are represented on the preseason All-SoCon second team by redshirt sophomore Tyler Bradt (starting pitcher) and redshirt junior Will Knight (outfield).
 
The Citadel rounded out the coaches and media polls in eighth, with graduate outfielder Ryan McCarthy earning a spot on the preseason All-SoCon first team. The Cumming, Georgia, native concluded the 2021 season with a .282 batting average, registering 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.
 
The 2022 baseball opening weekend begins on Feb. 18 with all eight teams in action. The regular season ends the weekend of May 21, before the 2022 SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases takes place at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina, from May 24-29.
 
Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)        Points
1. Wofford (6)                               48
2. Mercer (1)                                 40
3. Western Carolina (1)               39
4. ETSU                                          28
5. UNCG                                        25
6. Samford                                    19
7. VMI                                            16
8. The Citadel                                9
 
Preseason Media Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)        Points
1. Wofford (8)                               127
2. Mercer (3)                                 113
3. Samford (4)                              100
4. Western Carolina (2)                87
5. ETSU                                           74
6. UNCG                                         54
7. VMI                                             37
8. The Citadel                                20
 
 
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Pascanel Ferreras, So., SS, Western Carolina
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Colby Stuart, Sr., ETSU
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
SP     Colby Stuart, Sr., ETSU
SP     Zebby Matthews, Jr., Western Carolina
RP    Dalton Rhadans, Sr., Wofford
C       Lawson Hill, Sr., Wofford
1B     Justin Starke, R-So., VMI
2B     Will Prater, Sr., Western Carolina
SS     Pascanel Ferreras, So., Western Carolina
3B     Will David, Jr., Samford
OF    Ryan McCarthy, Grad., The Citadel
OF    Bill Knight, Jr., Mercer
OF    Nolen Hester, Sr., Wofford
DH    Bryce Hodge, Sr., ETSU 

Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
SP     Austin Parsley, Sr., UNCG
SP     Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
RP    Luke Sutko, Sr., Mercer
C       Kaden Dreier, Jr., Samford
1B     Angelo DiSpigna, Jr., Mercer
2B     Hogan Windish, Jr., UNCG
SS     Ashton King, Jr., ETSU
3B     David Burke, So., Mercer
OF    Colby Thomas, So., Mercer
OF    Will Knight, R-Jr., VMI
OF    Trey Yunger, Jr., Wofford
DH    Daniel Walsh, Sr., Western Carolina