Eight South Atlantic Conference Baseball Players Named NCBWA All-Southeast Region, Catawba's Bowden Named Player of the Year
Wingate, N.C.----The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) announced All-Region teams Wednesday afternoon. Catawba College senior first baseman Chance Bowden is the NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Year, while Georgia College senior Charlie Hecht has been named the region's Pitcher of the Year. North Greenville head coach Landon Powell earns Region Coach of the Year honors.
Bowden earned South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year honors in 2018, hitting .388 with 20 doubles, 18 homers and 66 RBI, scoring 59 runs while compiling a .724 slugging percentage and .464 on-base percentage. The senior leads the SAC in homers, RBI, hits and total bases, ranking third in runs scored and slugging percentage, fourth in doubles and fifth in batting average.
Hecht was named the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year. The senior is a perfect 11-0 on the season with a 2.43 ERA, helping to lead Georgia College to the PBC regular season and tournament championship. Hecht has 124 strikeouts and just 22 walks in 100 innings of work, holding opponents to a .211 batting average while tossing a pair of complete games. He ranks in the top five in the conference in ERA, wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts.
Powell was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year, leading North Greenville to the regular season and tournament title. The Crusaders are 44-8 overall and have been ranked as high as number one nationally this season. NGU is the top seed in this week's NCAA Southeast Regional, serving as the host school. North Greenville went 21-3 in league play in 2018.
Joining Bowden on the All-Region first team in the infield is Tusculum College sophomore Daulton Martin, who is hitting .413 with 20 doubles, seven triples and four homers, scoring 53 runs for the Pioneers. UNC Pembroke freshman Trey Jacobs is the first team All-Region third baseman, hitting .419 with 11 homers to go along with a PBC-best 26 doubles and 76 RBI. LMU sophomore Tyler Adams is the shortstop, hitting .347 with 11 homers, 22 doubles, 47 RBI and a league-best 66 runs scored while also stealing 14 bases in 14 attempts. Mars Hill junior Matt Honeycutt is the first team All-Region catcher, hitting .399 with 15 homers, 14 doubles and 49 RBI, slugging a SAC-best .751 on the year.
Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Logan Mattix leads the way as a first team All-Region outfielder. The senior is hitting .406 with 17 doubles, eight homers and four triples, driving in 65 runs while scoring 60 times, adding eight stolen bases. He is joined by North Greenville junior Connor Grant, hitting .396 with 10 homers, 13 doubles and 55 RBI, stealing 16 bases in 19 attempts. UNCP junior Luke Jackson rounds out the first team All-Region outfielders, hitting .409 with 12 homers, 10 doubles and 68 RBI, scoring 58 runs and stealing 15 bases while slugging .679 on the season.
Hecht leads the way as the first team All-Region starting pitcher, joined by Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year Tucker Burgess. He is 14-2 with a 2.84 ERA on the season, striking out 81 in 88 2/3 innings while tossing a pair of complete games. Columbus State's Kolton Ingram rounds out the first team All-Region starting pitchers. He is 11-3 with a 2.35 ERA, notching 122 strikeouts against 42 walks in 107 1/3 innings of work, tossing three complete games while holding opponents to a .201 average. Mount Olive senior Zach Vennaro is the first team All-Region relief pitcher, going 6-1 with a 0.81 ERA to go along with 11 saves. He has 52 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .210 average.
Georgia College's Matthew Miller is the second team All-Region first baseman, hitting .411 with six homers, 11 doubles and 38 RBI, scoring 60 runs while stealing 18 bases. Belmont Abbey's Matt McGarry is the second baseman, hitting .351 with 13 doubles, a triple and two homers, driving in 22 runs and scoring 60 times to go along with 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts. Limestone's Chase Allen is the third baseman on the second team, hitting .317 with a league-best 24 homers, 62 RBI and .756 slugging percentage. Newberry's Colin Allman is the second team shortstop, hitting .391 with 13 doubles, two triples and eight homers, driving in 47 runs and scoring 53 times. North Georgia's Andres Perez earns second team All-Region honors as a catcher, hitting .330 with a PBC-best 23 homers to go along with 68 RBI and a .699 slugging percentage.
Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Luke Cureton leads the way on the second team All-Region outfield. The Belmont Abbey senior hits .376 with 24 doubles, a triple and 12 homers, driving in 56 runs and scoring 61 times to go along with a .710 slugging percentage. Georgia College's Wesley Wommack is also a second team All-Region outfielder, hitting .399 with 14 doubles, three triples and three homers, driving in 46 runs, scoring 52 times and stealing 11 bases. Lincoln Memorial's Logan Augustine rounds out the All-Region outfielders, hitting .398 with 10 doubles, six homers and 30 RBI, scoring 38 runs to go along with 11 stolen bases and a .503 on-base percentage.
South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year Ethan Elliott leads the second team All-Region starting pitchers. The LMU junior left-hander is 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA, striking out 114 in 91 2/3 innings while tossing a pair of complete games and holding opponents to a .233 average. Elliott was the SAC Tournament MVP. Young Harris's Michael Livingston is 6-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 96 innings of work, piling up 125 strikeouts and just 18 walks while tossing a pair of complete games and holding opponents to a .201 batting average. Mount Olive's German Reyes rounds out the starting pitchers, going 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 62 innings of work. He also has a save and a complete game, while holding the opposition to a .185 batting average. North Georgia's Parker Morrison is the second team All-Region reliever. He has 10 saves and a 4-2 record, posting a 2.01 ERA in 53 2/3 innings of work. He has 62 strikeouts against just 27 walks, with opponents hitting just .164 against him.
2018 NCBWA All-Southeast Region Teams
1st Team All-Region
C – Matt Honeycutt, Mars Hill
1B – Chance Bowden, Catawba
2B – Daulton Martin, Tusculum
3B – Trey Jacobs, UNC Pembroke
SS – Tyler Adams, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Logan Mattix, Georgia College
OF – Connor Grant, North Greenville
OF – Luke Jackson, UNC Pembroke
DH – Heath Mitchem, Catawba
UT – Nate Schmal, Georgia College
SP – Charlie Hecht, Georgia College
SP – Tucker Burgess, North Greenville
SP – Kolton Ingram, Columbus State
RP – Zach Vennaro, Mount Olive
2nd Team All-Region
C – Andres Perez, North Georgia
1B – Matthew Miller, Georgia College
2B – Matt McGarry, Belmont Abbey
3B – Chase Allen, Limestone
SS – Colin Allman, Newberry
OF – Luke Cureton, Belmont Abbey
OF – Wesley Wommack, Georgia College
OF – Logan Augustine, Lincoln Memorial
DH – Connor Grainger, UNC Pembroke
UT – Nate Estes, Mount Olive
SP – Ethan Elliott, Lincoln Memorial
SP – Michael Livingston, Young Harris
SP – German Reyes, Mount Olive
RP – Parker Morrison, North Georgia
Player of the Year: Chance Bowden, Catawba
Pitcher of the Year: Charlie Hecht, Georgia College
Coach of the Year: Landon Powell, North Greenville
About the NCBWA
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Trophy (Player of the Year), Regional Players of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-American awards, publication and writing contests.