SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A total of 10 Samford players were honored when the Southern Conference released its postseason baseball awards Tuesday morning.
 
Third baseman Parker McDonald and outfielder Michael Gupton were both named first team All-SoCon. Starting pitchers Mason Blasche and Miller Riggins, relief pitcher Josh Leerssen, catcher Cade Carr, first baseman Jackson Harris and second baseman Jeffrey Ince earned second team All-SoCon honors. Ince was also named to the SoCon's All-Defensive Team, while Blasche, Gus Gandy and Jake Souders were all named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team.
 
McDonald is currently second on the team in both home runs with 12 and in doubles with 15. He is third on the squad in RBI with 45, and he finished the regular season with a .291 batting average.
 
Gupton leads the squad in home runs with 14 and he ranks second in RBI with 46. He also ranks second on the team in hitting with a .331 batting average.
 
Blasche leads the Southern Conference with a perfect 9-0 record so far this season. He leads the team in ERA at 3.41, and he has held opposing batters to a .259 average.
 
Riggins leads the team and ranks second in the Southern Conference in strikeouts with 80. He has posted a 4-2 record with a 4.24 ERA and opposing batters have hit just .211 against him.
 
Leerssen emerged as a solid arm out of the bullpen this season. He has recorded 52 strikeouts, while allowing just 17 walks. He has a 4.70 ERA with two saves on the season.
 
Carr leads the team and ranks sixth in the SoCon with 56 RBI. He has hit .325 with 14 doubles and eight home runs.
 
Harris enters the SoCon Tournament with a .325 average. He has hit 14 doubles and five home runs and he has driven in 44 runs.
 
Ince is currently leading the team with a .338 batting average. He also leads the team and ranks fifth in the SoCon with 17 doubles. He has hit 10 home runs and driven in 33 runs this season.
 
Gandy leads the team in triples with two, to go along with his 10 doubles and one home run. He has driven in 23 runs so far this season.
 
Souders leads the team in multi-hit games with 21 and has reached base in 31-straight games entering the tournament. For the season, he is hitting. 329 with 13 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI.
 
Samford will open play in the Southern Conference Tournament on Friday, May 23 at 11:30 a.m. (CT) at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. Samford will play either The Citadel, UNC Greensboro or Wofford.
 
2025 SoCon Baseball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year - Copper Torres, ETSU
Pitcher of the Year - Brady Frederick, ETSU
Coach of the Year - Joe Pennucci, ETSU
Freshman of the Year - Axel Melendez, ETSU
Golden Glove Award (Defensive Player of the Year) - Bradley Frye, Mercer

All Conference First Team
SP - Carter Fink, ETSU
SP - Jace Hyde, ETSU
SP - Colton Cosper, Mercer
RP - Maddox Webb, The Citadel
RP - Danny Thompson Jr., UNCG
RP - Brady Frederick, ETSU
C - Jack Spyke, Western Carolina
1B - Grayson Fitzwater, VMI
2B - Cooper Torres, ETSU
SS - Bradley Frye, Mercer
3B - Parker McDonald, Samford
OF - Ty Dalley, Mercer
OF - Jamie Palmese, UNCG
OF - Michael Gupton, Samford
DH - Wyatt Stanley, Western Carolina

All Conference Second Team
SP - Mason Blasche, Samford
SP - Miller Riggins, Samford
SP - Dusty Revis, Western Carolina
RP - Derek McCarley, ETSU
RP - Josh Leerssen, Samford
RP - Carter Rasmussen, Wofford
C - Cade Carr, Samford
1B - Jackson Harris, Samford
2B - Jeffrey Ince, Samford
SS - Cody Miller, ETSU
3B - Grant Gallagher, ETSU
OF - TJ Anderson, The Citadel
OF - Boston Torres, VMI
OF - Owen Prince, VMI
DH - Lenny Montesano, ETSU

All Conference Defensive Team
Phillips Daniels, The Citadel
Garrett Dill, The Citadel
Travis Elliott, The Citadel
Lane Tobin, The Citadel
Tristan Curless, ETSU
Cody Miller, ETSU
Bradley Frye, Mercer
Titan Kamaka, Mercer
Jacob Budzik, UNCG
Jeffrey Ince, Samford
Owen Prince, VMI
Trent Turner, Western Carolina

All Conference Freshman Team
Axel Melendez, ETSU
Collin Ewaldsen, Mercer
JJ Parsons, UNCG
Parker Wright, UNCG
Mason Blasche, Samford
Gus Gandy, Samford
Jake Souders, Samford
Justin Spiegel, VMI 
Trey Spees, Western Carolina
Wyatt Stanley, Western Carolina
Cullen Condon, Wofford
Tanner Hardin, Wofford
 
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