HIGH POINT, N.C. – Mount Olive returns two All-Conference Carolinas Baseball players to the 2014 Conference Carolinas Championship and NCAA Southeast Regional Participant squad this year. Four returning players were also selected to the All-Southeast team last year
Rob Shipman, a senior from Valdosta, Ga., was second on the team last year in batting average, home runs, and RBI. Shipman had a .388 average and belted 10 long balls and had 54 RBI. Justin Manning led the team on the defensive side of the field as the senior from Apex, N.C. held a .997 fielding percentage behind the plate.
Mount Olive looks poised to make a run for their 13th Conference Carolinas championship in program history as they return all but seven players from the 2013-14 squad and have added 11 to this year's team.
Trojan head coach Carl Lancaster was named the 2014 Conference Carolinas Baseball Coach of the Year last season.
Erskine College has been selected second in the poll. The Fleet returns 11 position players and eight pitchers that saw significant time from last season. Erskine finished 2014 34-17 overall and 16-4 in conference play.
Last season the Fleet offense finished in the top two in the conference in 11 different categories and finished second and third nationally in slugging percentage and home runs per game. Erskine's offense will be led by Brandon Overstreet (.348, 15 2B, 10 HR, 41 RBI) and Zach Smith (.333, 9 2B, 10 HR, 52 RBI) who were both All Region selections last season, as well as Logan Galliher (.342, 15 2B, 6 HR, 41 RBI) and Destin Nichols (.344, 11 2B, 5 HR, 17 RBI).
Erskine returns conference Pitcher of the Year Austin Gambrell (8-2, 4.27 ERA, 58 K's, 15 BB) and first team All Conference reliever Wes Schuler (6-2, 2.59 ERA, 36 K's, 23 BB) will anchor down the staff. Gambrell led the conference in wins, WHIP (1.19), and fewest walks allowed per nine innings (1.88) while Schuler led the conference in ERA. The Fleet are hopeful that University of Georgia transfer Luke Crumley can reach his potential and solidify a strong weekend staff.
After posting their highest win total in four years, the Pfeiffer Falcons have been picked to finish third in Conference Carolinas. The Falcons will have to replace some valuable players but there is no lack of talent in Misenheimer.
Leading the returners is junior pitcher Ethan Greene who was selected to the First Team All-Conference a season ago. Pfeiffer's ace went 6-3 on the mound and was second in the league in innings pitched at 87.2. The right hander was sixth in the conference in strikeouts and tossed a complete game shutout of Southern New Hampshire on Feb. 21. Greene also took a no-hitter into the top of the 7th inning against North Greenville.
The Falcons also return four players who were named to the Second Team All-Conference. Hunter Jobe was third in the league in wins while pitching out of the bullpen and Tyler Lequire threw a complete game shutout of No. 12 Franklin Pierce. Dalton Lindley led the Falcons with 31 RBI's, while Cole McGraw hit .324 and had a .405 on base percentage in conference games.
Pfeiffer improved by eight wins from 2013-2014 and look to take the next step under third year manager Dusty Blake.
Conference Carolinas Baseball Preseason Poll
(# of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)