CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (April 30, 2025) – Maryville’s Colin Dunworth was recognized as the 2025 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Player of the Year, while Piedmont’s left-handed pitcher Zeke Swartz secured the Pitcher of the Year title. Joining a fellow Lion, Ben Connelly was named the CCS Rookie Player of the Year, while LaGrange’s Josiah Chiesa earned the CCS Rookie Pitcher of the Year award. Maryville's head coach Clint Helton received the prestigious CCS Coach of the Year accolade for his second consecutive season, a decision made through a vote by the conference's head coaches.
Player of the Year | Colin Dunworth, Maryville
Maryville’s Colin Dunworth earned the title of 2025 CCS Player of the Year after an all-around standout campaign from center field. The junior was a force both offensively and defensively, finishing the season with a .374 batting average, good for top 10 in the conference and second on his team. Dunworth led the CCS in slugging percentage (.632) and ranked second in OPS (1.090), while tying for the league lead with seven home runs. His 58 hits were second-most in the conference, and he drove in 35 runs, placing him fourth overall. On the basepaths, he swiped 12 bases, while defensively, he recorded 81 putouts in 85 chances with a .965 fielding percentage and was part of a double play from center field.
Pitcher of the Year | Zeke Swartz, Piedmont
Piedmont’s Zeke Swartz claims the 2025 CCS Pitcher of the Year honor after delivering one of the most dominant seasons on the mound in Division III. The junior posted a stellar 1.89 ERA, ranking second in the league and among the top 40 nationally, and his 0.87 WHIP stood 11th in the NCAA. Swartz went 5-1 over 10 starts, tossing 62.0 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .182 batting average, ranking first in the league. He allowed just 41 hits and struck out 76 batters.
Rookie Player of the Year | Ben Connelly, Piedmont
Piedmont’s Ben Connelly made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season, starting all 39 games and consistently producing at the plate. The freshman infielder hit .367 and posted an OPS of .892, with 51 hits, 31 runs scored, and 30 RBI. He also added 10 doubles and one home run while maintaining a .448 on-base percentage.
Rookie Pitcher of the Year | Josiah Chiesa, LaGrange
LaGrange freshman Josiah Chiesa earns CCS Rookie Pitcher of the Year after a breakout debut season. Chiesa compiled a 2.93 ERA across 58.1 innings pitched, starting all 11 of his appearances. He struck out 57 batters and held opponents to a .223 average, ranked second in the league, while recording a 4-4 record.
Coach of the Year | Clint Helton, Maryville
Maryville’s Clint Helton has earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor after leading the Scots to back-to-back regular season titles and tying the program’s single-season wins record (30) — a mark he originally set just last year — with postseason play still ahead. Despite losing 14 seniors from the 2024 squad, Helton retooled his roster and guided Maryville to a 15-3 CCS record, winning all but one conference series and sweeping all but two. Under his leadership, the Scots have gone 29-6 in CCS play over the past two seasons.
Belhaven led the 2025 All-Conference Team with seven selections, while Piedmont, LaGrange, and Maryville followed closely behind with six each. Covenant earned three selections, and Huntingdon rounded out the list with two.
Postseason action gets underway this morning with three opening round matchups. The tournament opens as No. 2 Belhaven (28-11, 13-5 CCS) takes on No. 5 Huntingdon (18-18, 7-11 CCS). Shortly after, No. 1 Maryville (30-10, 15-3 CCS) will square off against No. 6 Covenant (19-20, 5-13 CCS), followed by No. 3 Piedmont (26-13, 12-6 CCS) meeting No. 4 LaGrange (18-21, 10-8 CCS).
For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the CCS Baseball Tournament Central page at
https://collegiateconferenceofthesouth.com/tournaments/?id=38&path=baseball
2025 CCS Baseball Superlative Awards
Player of the Year – Colin Dunworth, Maryville
Pitcher of the Year – Zeke Swartz, Piedmont
Rookie Player of the Year – Ben Connelly, Piedmont
Rookie Pitcher of the Year – Josiah Chiesa, LaGrange
Coach of the Year – Clint Helton, Maryville
2025 CCS Baseball All-Conference Teams
First Team
| C |
David Smigelski |
LaGrange |
Senior |
Canton, Ga. |
| 1B |
Adam Dorn |
LaGrange |
Senior |
Canton, Ga. |
| 2B |
Reece Jordan |
Maryville |
Sophomore |
Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| SS |
Jackson McElvy |
LaGrange |
Junior |
Kennesaw, Ga. |
| 3B |
Zeke Gilbert |
Covenant |
Senior |
Douglasville, Ga. |
| OF |
Curt Bonner |
LaGrange |
Junior |
Cartersville, Ga. |
| OF |
JD Weed |
Belhaven |
Junior |
Terry, Miss. |
| OF |
Colin Dunworth |
Maryville |
Junior |
Nolensville, Tenn. |
| DH |
Nick Thornton |
Belhaven |
Sophomore |
Brandon, Miss. |
| UTIL |
Blake McCarthy |
Belhaven |
Junior |
Mandeville, La. |
| P |
Zeke Swartz |
Piedmont |
Senior |
Blairsville, Ga. |
| P |
Kyle Timko |
Maryville |
Junior |
Tampa, Fla. |
| P |
Kade May |
Belhaven |
Senior |
Florence, Miss. |
| RP |
Braden Simms |
Piedmont |
Senior |
Oakwood, Ga. |
| RP |
Brent Cadenhead |
Huntingdon |
Junior |
Pace, Fla. |
Second Team
| C |
Ashton Whiteaker |
Maryville |
Senior |
Carlsbad, N.M. |
| 1B |
Tristan Pearson |
Belhaven |
Senior |
Biloxi, Miss. |
| 2B |
Hunter Harrell |
Belhaven |
Senior |
Zachary, La. |
| SS |
Brayden Evans |
Maryville |
Junior |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 3B |
Matt Hall |
Maryville |
Senior |
Lexington, Ky. |
| OF |
Cody Funk |
Piedmont |
Junior |
McDonough, Ga. |
| OF |
Jorge Fragoso |
LaGrange |
Senior |
East Point, Ga. |
| OF |
Cole Ellis |
Piedmont |
Senior |
Woodstock, Ga. |
| DH |
Carter Few |
Piedmont |
Freshman |
Alpharetta, Ga. |
| UTIL |
Brent Cadenhead |
Huntingdon |
Junior |
Pace, Fla. |
| P |
Peyton Irvin |
Piedmont |
Graduate Student |
Cornelia, Ga. |
| P |
Josiah Chiesa |
LaGrange |
Freshman |
Dalton, Ga. |
| P |
Scotty Smith |
Covenant |
Senior |
Cartersville, Ga. |
| RP |
Ethan Goebert |
Covenant |
Sophomore |
New Port Richey, Fla. |
| RP |
Lane Alack |
Belhaven |
Freshman |
Loranger, La. |
All-Sportsmanship Team
| Ben Propes |
Asbury |
Sophomore |
Birmingham, Ala. |
| Eli Britt |
Belhaven |
Senior |
Petal, Miss. |
| Benjamin Johnson |
Covenant |
Senior |
Tranas, Sweden |
| Sam Kelley |
Huntingdon |
Sophomore |
Brewton, Ala. |
| Tray Owens |
LaGrange |
Senior |
Franklin, Ga. |
| Matt Hall |
Maryville |
Senior |
Lexington, Ky. |
| Jack Gilsenan |
Piedmont |
Graduate Student |
Powder Springs, Ga. |
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
Follow all things #CCSBSB on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.