CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (May 8, 2024) - Owen Abney from Belhaven was recognized as the 2024 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Player of the Year, with his teammate Brett Sanchez securing the Pitcher of the Year title. Covenant's Sam Cecil was named the CCS Rookie Player of the Year, while Jonathan Glover earned the CCS Rookie Pitcher of the Year award. Maryville's head coach, Clint Helton, received the prestigious CCS Coach of the Year accolade, a decision made through a vote by the conference's head coaches.

Player of the Year | Owen Abney, Belhaven

Owen Abney from Belhaven has been a dominant force for the Blazers in all 38 regular season games, leading the conference in several crucial categories, including slugging percentage (.600), RBI (55), and home runs (10). Additionally, he tops the league in on-base plus slugging percentage (.984). Notably, the third baseman has secured a place in the top 10 within the CCS for overall batting average (.345), hits (50), and sacrifice flies (6). His exceptional performance extends beyond the conference, as he also ranks in the top 15 nationally in Division III for RBI.

Pitcher of the Year | Brett Sanchez, Belhaven

Brett Sanchez has showcased exceptional prowess on the mound for the Blazers this season, leading both his team and the conference in overall strikeouts (89) and boasting an earned run average of 2.58 over 80.1 innings pitched. Hailing from Slidell, Louisiana, Sanchez has compiled an impressive 6-2 record in ten starts, including four complete games, and holds a remarkable WHIP of 0.93. Furthermore, he ranks among the top 15 pitchers in Division III for strikeouts and is in the top 10 for the strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.42). Within the CCS, Sanchez has achieved notable success, ranking among the top five for opponent batting average (.210), strikeouts looking (20), wins (6), and walks allowed (12). Over his four-year tenure at Belhaven, Sanchez has solidified his legacy with numerous accolades, including becoming the all-time strikeouts leader with 404 and career wins with 32. His historic milestone also includes being the first Division III pitcher since 1995 and only the third ever to surpass the 400 career strikeout threshold. As a graduate student, Sanchez has been recognized as a finalist for the 2024 Ferriss Trophy, an esteemed award honoring Mississippi's top collegiate baseball player.

Rookie Player of the Year | Sam Cecil, Covenant

In 34 games, Sam Cecil maintained a solid batting average of .303, tallying 33 hits, including seven home runs, and driving in 16 runs. His contributions extended beyond just power, as he also scored 19 runs for his team. With a .450 slugging percentage and a .347 on-base percentage, he consistently made an impact at the plate in his first year with the Scots. Additionally, he demonstrated good plate discipline with seven doubles and seven walks, contributing to his impressive .797 on-base plus slugging percentage this season.

Rookie Pitcher of the Year | Jonathan Glover, Covenant

Jonathan Glover emerged as a crucial asset for the Scots in the bullpen, making 16 appearances and showcasing a 2-1 record on the mound. With an impressive 0.44 earned run average and five saves to his name, he played a pivotal role in securing crucial victories for Maryville. Across 20.2 innings pitched, he demonstrated remarkable control and effectiveness, striking out 16 batters while issuing just seven walks. His dominance was further highlighted by his ability to limit opposing batters to a meager .181 batting average against him. Notably, he proved to be incredibly stingy in terms of runs allowed, surrendering only two runs throughout the season, with just one of those runs being earned.

Coach of the Year | Clint Helton, Maryville

In his fourth season at the helm of the Scots baseball team, Coach Clint Helton has achieved remarkable success, guiding the team to their first-ever regular-season championship. The team boasts an impressive 26-13 overall record, including a dominant 14-3 performance in CCS matches. Under Coach Helton's leadership, Maryville has become a force to be reckoned with on their home turf, boasting a stellar 15-3 record at home this season. Over the course of Helton's tenure as head coach from 2020 to the present, the team has amassed an impressive 62-21 record at Scotland Yard. One of the standout achievements of Coach Helton's tenure is the team's remarkable 13-game winning streak, marking their longest streak of consecutive victories since at least 2012.

Maryville led this year’s all-conference team with 11 selections, including six first team honorees. Piedmont followed closely with five selections, while Covenant and LaGrange each had four. Huntingdon and Belhaven rounded out this year’s all-conference selections with one selection each.

Superlative Awards

Player of the Year – Owen Abney, Belhaven

Pitcher of the Year – Brett Sanchez, Belhaven

Rookie Player of the Year – Sam Cecil, Covenant

Rookie Pitcher of the Year – Jonathan Glover, Covenant

Coach of the Year – Clint Helton, Maryville

 

Baseball All-Conference Teams

First Team

C	Ashton Whiteaker	Maryville	Junior	Carlsbad, N.M.
1B	Tristan Pearson	Belhaven	Junior	Biloxi, Miss.
2B	Jimmy Meredith	Maryville	Senior	Cape Coral, Fla.
SS	Jacob Johnston	Maryville	Junior	Chino Hills, Calif.
3B	Owen Abney	Belhaven	Sophomore	Madison, Miss.
OF	Trace Cate	Piedmont	Senior	Marietta, Ga.
OF	Max Bowers	Maryville	Senior	Maryville, Tenn.
OF	Kenny Mills	Covenant	Senior	Stockbridge, Ga.
OF	Rhett Mixon	LaGrange	Graduate Student	Loganville, Ga.
DH	Daniel Montana	Maryville	Junior	Tucson, Ariz.
P	Zeke Swartz	Piedmont	Junior	Blairsville, Ga.
P	Brett Sanchez	Belhaven	Graduate Student	Slidell, La.
P	Dalton Brooks	LaGrange	Senior	Sharpsburg, Ga.
RP	Chris Arbuthnot	Maryville	Senior	Knoxville, Tenn.
RP	Braden Simms	Piedmont	Junior	Oakwood, Ga.

 

Second Team

C	David Smigelski	LaGrange	Senior	Sharpsburg, Ga.
1B	Christian Carlton	Maryville	Senior	Rockwood, Tenn.
2B	Spencer Muffuletto	Piedmont	Freshman	Braselton, Ga.
SS	Zeke Gilbert	Covenant	Senior	Douglasville, Ga.
3B	Zac Graham	Maryville	Senior	Bradenton, Fla.
OF	Colin Dunworth	Maryville	Sophomore	Nolensville, Tenn.
OF	Noah Phillips	Huntingdon	Senior	Highland Home, Ala.
OF	Gabriel Pallo	LaGrange	Senior	Melbourne, Fla.
OF	Isaak Mullanack	Piedmont	Junior	Blairsville, Ga.
DH	Davis Johnson	Huntingdon	Freshman	Mount Sterling, Ky.
P	Seth Killam	Huntingdon	Senior	Century, Fla.
P	Mitchell Grannan	Maryville	Junior	Chattanooga, Tenn.
P	Bryce Bollinger	Covenant	Senior	Nashville, Tenn.
RP	Xavier Resto	Maryville	Sophomore	Chattanooga, Tenn.
RP	Jonathan Glover	Covenant	Freshman	Ringgold, Ga.

 

All-Sportsmanship Team

Tristan Pearson	Belhaven	First Base	Junior	Biloxi, Miss.
Derek Hay	Berea	Pitcher	Senior	Las Cruces, N.M.
Chase McBryar	Covenant	Outfield	Senior	Chattanooga, Tenn.
Matthew Robinson	Huntingdon	Infield	Senior	Montgomery, Ala.
Jackson McCart	LaGrange		Senior	Macon, Ga.
Brice Klepfer	Maryville	Catcher	Senior	Lake In The Hills, Ill.
Owen Helgesen	Piedmont	Infield	Senior	Marietta, Ga.