North Greenville Edges Mount Olive in Baseball Preseason Poll
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas baseball coaches have chosen North Greenville to win the 2022 regular season in the preseason poll released on Jan. 27.
The Crusaders, who return reigning Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Year, NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Year and Perfect Game NCAA Division II Most Valuable Player John Michael Faile, received 96 points and seven of 11 first-place votes. Mount Olive, which returns reigning NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year Hunter Stevens, was a close second with 92 points and the remaining first-place nods. UNC Pembroke was selected third with 85 points followed by Belmont Abbey with 70.
Francis Marion was picked fifth with 56 points followed by Barton (55), Erskine (54), King (38), Emmanuel (29), Southern Wesleyan (19) and Chowan (11).
The baseball season begins on Tuesday, Feb. 1 with the conference championship scheduled for May 4-8 at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina.
2022 Conference Carolinas
Baseball Preseason Poll
| School |
Total (First Place) |
| North Greenville |
96 (7) |
| Mount Olive |
92 (4) |
| UNC Pembroke |
85 |
| Belmont Abbey |
70 |
| Francis Marion |
56 |
| Barton |
55 |
| Erskine |
54 |
| King |
38 |
| Emmanuel |
29 |
| Southern Wesleyan |
19 |
| Chowan |
11 |
2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Dylan Scaranda, Sr., INF, Galloway, New Jersey
- Ryan McIsaac, Jr., UTL, Millville, New Jersey
- Jared Davis, Sr., RHP, Poquoson, Virginia
Belmont Abbey
- Jason White, Sr., P, Concord, North Carolina (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Sean Johnson, Sr., CF, Kansas City, Missouri (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Ben Gobbel, Sr., 3B, Cumming, Georgia
Chowan
- Tyler West, So., INF, Warsaw, Virginia
- Shane Rademacher, Jr., P, Greenville, North Carolina
Emmanuel
- Luke Patty, Sr., INF, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Jake Denham, Sr., LHP, Tempe, Arizona
- Simon Boggie, So., RHP, Tucson, Arizona
Erskine
- Tariq Bacon, Jr., OF, Fort Pierce, Florida
- Cal Bocchino, Sr., INF, Delray, Florida
- Allan Saathoff, Sr., RHP, Ridgely, Maryland
Francis Marion
- Will Hardee, Sr., OF, Evergreen, South Carolina (2021 First Team All-Peach Belt Conference)
- Todd Mattox, Sr., 3B, Winnsboro, South Carolina (2021 First Team All-Peach Belt Conference, NCBWA All-Southeast Region Second Team)
- Leniel Gonzalez, Sr., 1B/C, Sumter, South Carolina (2019 Second Team All-Peach Belt Conference)
King
- Robbie Scott, Sr., INF, Longwood, Florida
- Drew Moore, Sr., P, Virginia Beach, Virginia (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, NCBWA All-Southeast Region Second Team, D2CCA Second Team All-Region)
- Junior Renwick, Sr., INF, Havelock, North Carolina
Mount Olive
- Hunter Stevens, Sr., RHP, Raleigh, North Carolina (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year, NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year)
- Dawson Gause, Jr., RHP, Lake Wylie, South Carolina
- Josh Jones, Jr., SS, Charlotte Court House, Virginia
North Greenville
- John Michael Faile, Jr., C, Boiling Springs, South Carolina (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Year, NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Year, First Team All-Southeast Region, First Team All-American, Perfect Game NCAA DII Most Valuable Player, Herff Jones Conference Carolinas Male Athlete of the Year)
- Brent Herlong, Gr., RHP, Lake View, South Carolina
- Gehrig Octavio, Sr., OF, Hilo, Hawaii (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Southern Wesleyan
- Sean Sutay, Sr., SS, Bluffton, South Carolina
- Ty King Richards, Sr., CF, Snellville, Georgia
- TJ McEvilly, Sr., RHP, Matthews, North Carolina
UNC Pembroke
- Darren Bowen, R-So., P, St. Pauls, North Carolina (2021 Peach Belt All-Conference)
- Gage Hammonds, R-Sr., OF, Chadbourn, North Carolina (2021 Peach Belt All-Conference)
- Bobby Dixon, R-Sr., INF/UTL, Clayton, North Carolina (2021 Peach Belt All-Conference)