Conference Carolinas Well Represented in Preseason Baseball Polls
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Collegiate Baseball released their 2022 NCAA Division II Preseason Polls and Conference Carolinas is well represented, while the conference dominated the 2022 NCBWA Preseason All-Southeast Region Teams.
Mount Olive led all conference institutions in the NCBWA Top-25 as they are tied for 13th with 220 points. The Trojans also were the top league program in the Collegiate Baseball poll where they are No. 25 with 555 points.
North Greenville joined UMO in the Collegiate Baseball rankings at No. 31with 540 points while they received votes in the NCBWA poll. UNC Pembroke received votes in both polls while Francis Marion received votes in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
In the NCBWA Southeast Region, Mount Olive tied for second with 78 points and received one of the 10 first-place votes while NGU ranked fifth with 69 points and UNC Pembroke ranked sixth with 47 points. Francis Marion and Erskine both received votes in the region rankings.
The 2021 Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Year, Herff Jones Conference Carolinas Male Athlete of the Year, NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Year and NCAA Division II Most Valuable Player, John Michael Faile led Conference Carolinas' nine All-Southeast Region team selections.
Faile was chosen as the all-region catcher and was joined by three other North Greenville teammates in outfielders Marek Chlup and Ethan Stringer and utility player Gehrig Octavio. Mount Olive added two players in first baseman Vito Patierno and starting pitcher Hunter Stevens who was the 2021 Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year.
Belmont Abbey, Francis Marion and King also had representatives. Second baseman Mason Dodd represented the Crusaders, third baseman Todd Mattox represented the Patriots and starting pitcher Drew Moore represented the Tornado.
The full NCBWA polls are available here while the Collegiate Baseball poll is available
here. The full All-Southeast Region team is listed below.
2022 NCBWA Preseason All-Southeast Region Teams
C – John Michael Faile, North Greenville
1B – Vito Patierno, Mount Olive
2B – Mason Dodd, Belmont Abbey
3B – Todd Mattox, Francis Marion
SS – Isaac Bouton, Columbus State
OF – Marek Chlup, North Greenville
OF – Ethan Stringer, North Greenville
OF – Crews Taylor, North Georgia
DH – Nik Levensteins, North Georgia
UT – Gehrig Octavio, North Greenville
SP – Hunter Stevens, Mount Olive
SP – Brayden Coe, Carson-Newman
SP – Drew Moore, King
RP – Robbie Cowie, Catawba