Baseball Picked As SoCon Preseason Favorite
2.7.19 | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C.— The Samford baseball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference title by both the league's coaches and media, when the SoCon released its preseason polls Thursday afternoon.
In addition to the preseason polls, the preseason All-SoCon teams were announced as well. Samford sophomore pitcher Samuel Strickland was named the league's preseason Pitcher of the Year. Strickland was joined on the first team by catcher Anthony Mulrine and first baseman Brooks Carlson. Shortstop Branden Fryman was named to the second team.
In the coaches poll, Samford, which won the 2018 SoCon Tournament, received seven of the nine first-place votes and 63 points. UNCG picked up the other two first-place votes and tallied 55 points to finish second. UNCG was followed by Mercer (52 pts.), ETSU (35), Wofford (33), Western Carolina (31), Furman (24), The Citadel (22) and VMI (9).
Samford received 11 of the 14 first-place votes and 123 points to finish first in the media poll. UNCG (1 first-place vote, 107 pts.) and Mercer (2 first-place votes, 98 pts.) came in second and third, respectively in the media poll. Mercer was followed by Wofford (83 pts.), ETSU (64), Furman (49), Western Carolina (46), VMI (32) and The Citadel (28).
Strickland posted an impressive 8-2 record with a 2.33 ERA as a freshman in 2018. He led the team with 87 strikeouts, with only 15 walks. Strickland was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year last year by the league's media.
Carlson led Samford with a .343 batting average as a freshman in 2018. He also led the team in hits (79), doubles (16) and home runs (10), while coming in second on the squad in RBI (47).
Mulrine ranked second on the team with a .307 batting average a year ago. He belted eight doubles and eight home runs, while driving in a team-high 49 runs.
Fryman ranked second on the squad with 13 doubles last year. He batted .262 with a triple, two home runs and 26 RBI. He also stole a team-high 25 bases during the 2018 season.
The 2018 Bulldogs won the Southern Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. At the Regional, Samford topped seventh-ranked Florida State by a score of 7-6.
The Bulldogs will open the 2019 season with a three-game series at South Florida, Feb. 15-17 in Tampa, Fla. Samford's first home game is scheduled for Feb. 19 against North Alabama at 4 p.m. To purchase season tickets, click on the following link: BASEBALL TICKETS.
A full list of the SoCon preseason polls and All-SoCon teams is below.
2019 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Caleb Webster, Jr. UNCG
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sam Strickland, So., SAM
First Team
SP: Dylan Spence, The Citadel
SP: Sam Strickland, Samford
RP: Nick Spear, Mercer
C: Anthony Mulrine, Samford
1B: Brooks Carlson, Samford
2B: Austin Embler, UNCG
SS: RJ Yeager, Mercer
3B: Caleb Webster, UNCG
OF: Jeffrey Brown, The Citadel
OF: David Beam, ETSU
OF: Colin Davis, Wofford
DH: Le Bassett, Mercer
Second Team
SP: Nik Verbeke, Furman
SP: Austin Higginbotham, Wofford
RP: Anthony Garcia, Wofford
C: Bryce Leasure, The Citadel
1B: Jacob Huggins, VMI
2B: Cullen Smith, ETSU
SS: Branden Fryman, Samford
3B: Justice Bigbie, Western Carolina
OF: Jabari Richards, Furman
OF: Matthew Koehler, Western Carolina
OF: Kel Johnson, Mercer
DH: Lawson Hill, Wofford
2019 Preseason Coaches' Poll
Preseason Media Poll:
In addition to the preseason polls, the preseason All-SoCon teams were announced as well. Samford sophomore pitcher Samuel Strickland was named the league's preseason Pitcher of the Year. Strickland was joined on the first team by catcher Anthony Mulrine and first baseman Brooks Carlson. Shortstop Branden Fryman was named to the second team.
In the coaches poll, Samford, which won the 2018 SoCon Tournament, received seven of the nine first-place votes and 63 points. UNCG picked up the other two first-place votes and tallied 55 points to finish second. UNCG was followed by Mercer (52 pts.), ETSU (35), Wofford (33), Western Carolina (31), Furman (24), The Citadel (22) and VMI (9).
Samford received 11 of the 14 first-place votes and 123 points to finish first in the media poll. UNCG (1 first-place vote, 107 pts.) and Mercer (2 first-place votes, 98 pts.) came in second and third, respectively in the media poll. Mercer was followed by Wofford (83 pts.), ETSU (64), Furman (49), Western Carolina (46), VMI (32) and The Citadel (28).
Strickland posted an impressive 8-2 record with a 2.33 ERA as a freshman in 2018. He led the team with 87 strikeouts, with only 15 walks. Strickland was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year last year by the league's media.
Carlson led Samford with a .343 batting average as a freshman in 2018. He also led the team in hits (79), doubles (16) and home runs (10), while coming in second on the squad in RBI (47).
Mulrine ranked second on the team with a .307 batting average a year ago. He belted eight doubles and eight home runs, while driving in a team-high 49 runs.
Fryman ranked second on the squad with 13 doubles last year. He batted .262 with a triple, two home runs and 26 RBI. He also stole a team-high 25 bases during the 2018 season.
The 2018 Bulldogs won the Southern Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. At the Regional, Samford topped seventh-ranked Florida State by a score of 7-6.
The Bulldogs will open the 2019 season with a three-game series at South Florida, Feb. 15-17 in Tampa, Fla. Samford's first home game is scheduled for Feb. 19 against North Alabama at 4 p.m. To purchase season tickets, click on the following link: BASEBALL TICKETS.
A full list of the SoCon preseason polls and All-SoCon teams is below.
2019 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Caleb Webster, Jr. UNCG
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sam Strickland, So., SAM
First Team
SP: Dylan Spence, The Citadel
SP: Sam Strickland, Samford
RP: Nick Spear, Mercer
C: Anthony Mulrine, Samford
1B: Brooks Carlson, Samford
2B: Austin Embler, UNCG
SS: RJ Yeager, Mercer
3B: Caleb Webster, UNCG
OF: Jeffrey Brown, The Citadel
OF: David Beam, ETSU
OF: Colin Davis, Wofford
DH: Le Bassett, Mercer
Second Team
SP: Nik Verbeke, Furman
SP: Austin Higginbotham, Wofford
RP: Anthony Garcia, Wofford
C: Bryce Leasure, The Citadel
1B: Jacob Huggins, VMI
2B: Cullen Smith, ETSU
SS: Branden Fryman, Samford
3B: Justice Bigbie, Western Carolina
OF: Jabari Richards, Furman
OF: Matthew Koehler, Western Carolina
OF: Kel Johnson, Mercer
DH: Lawson Hill, Wofford
2019 Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Samford (7): 63
- UNCG (2): 55
- Mercer: 52
- ETSU: 35
- Wofford: 33
- Western Carolina: 31
- Furman: 24
- The Citadel: 22
- VMI: 9
Preseason Media Poll:
- Samford (11): 123
- UNCG (1): 107
- Mercer (2): 98
- Wofford: 83
- ETSU: 64
- Furman: 49
- Western Carolina: 46
- VMI: 32
- The Citadel: 28
Players Mentioned
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