Conference Carolinas Sweeps NCBWA Southeast Region Major Awards; 11 Named All-Region
WINGATE, N.C. – Conference Carolinas swept the major awards and was prominently featured throughout the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Southeast Region Teams.
North Greenville redshirt sophomore catcher John Michael Faile has been named the NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Year, while Mount Olive junior Hunter Stevens earned Region Pitcher of the Year accolades. Mount Olive’s Rob Watt was tabbed as the NCBWA Southeast Region Coach of the Year.
The Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and the Conference Carolinas Tournament Most Valuable Player, Faile is hitting .438 for the Crusaders in 2021 with 21 homers and 73 RBIs. The redshirt sophomore from Boiling Springs, South Carolina also has 10 doubles and a triple on the year, scoring 54 runs while compiling an .882 slugging percentage and .503 on-base percentage. Faile has 74 hits on the season. He is also the first team All-Region catcher.
A junior from Garner, North Carolina, Stevens is 9-0 on the year with a 1.90 ERA for the Trojans. He has allowed just 14 earned runs in 66 1/3 innings of work, piling up 86 strikeouts against 30 walks. Stevens has given up just 43 hits on the season, holding opponents to a .182 average.
Watt was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year after guiding the Trojans to a 35-10 season with a 27-5 record in league play. Mount Olive won the regular season league title and is ranked 12th in the most recent NCBWA top 25 poll. The Trojans are ranked second in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll.
Player of the Year: John Michael Faile, North Greenville
Pitcher of the Year: Hunter Stevens, Mount Olive
Coach of the Year: Rob Watt, Mount Olive
First Team All-Region
C – John Michael Faile, North Greenville
1B – Hunter Shepherd, Catawba
2B – Daulton Martin, Tusculum
3B – Livan Reinoso, Erskine
SS – Isaac Bouton, Columbus State
OF – Tucker Greer, Young Harris
OF – Brandon Trammell, Tusculum
OF – Marek Chlup, North Greenville
DH – Nik Levensteins, North Georgia
UT – Gehrig Octavio, North Greenville
SP – Hunter Stevens, Mount Olive
SP – Bryan Ketchie, Catawba
SP – Brayden Coe, Carson-Newman
RP – Robbie Cowie, Catawba
Second Team All-Region
C – Robert Brooks, Columbus State
1B – Benjamin Huber, Limestone
2B – Mason Dodd, Belmont Abbey
3B – Todd Mattox, Francis Marion
SS – Bryson Ford, Tusculum
OF – Drue Galassi, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Ethan Stringer, North Greenville
OF – Crews Taylor, North Georgia
DH – Brady West, North Greenville
UT – River Ryan, UNC Pembroke
SP – Drew Moore, King
SP – Tucker Smith, Georgia Southwestern
SP – Reed Parris, Mount Olive
RP – Dylan Smith, Belmont Abbey