HobbsDailyReport.com
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne University has one preseason All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) baseball player and is picked to finish in sixth place in this year’s conference race.
GRIGG
In voting by conference head coaches this week, Bears starting pitcher John Grigg was named first-team preseason all-league.
LRU’S SCHEDULE
https://lrbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=baseball
In the teams picks, the Bears are projected sixth behind Catawba, Lincoln Memorial, Wingate, Carson-Newman and Newberry, S.C.
LRU’s season begins Feb. 1-3 with a three-game road series at Rollins College. The Bears’ home debut is Feb. 6 against Barton College at 5 p.m.
Grigg, who played prep baseball at Burns High, pitched in 13 games last season for LRU. He posted an ERA of 3.89 in 69 1/3 innings and won eight games, threw two complete games, had one shutout and struck out 73. Opponents hit .245 against him.
LRU also has a second-team All-SAC preseason pick in first baseman Alex Reynolds, who is from Kings Mountain. He hit .358 last season with 12 doubles, a triple and four home runs with 46 RBI.
The Bears went 27-22 last season and 13-14 in the SAC and they won 15 games at home. LRU finished fifth in the league a year ago.
SAC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
(as voted on by league head coaches)
Points (1st Place Votes)
1. Catawba (8) 108
2. Lincoln Memorial (3) 97
3. Wingate 93
4. Carson-Newman 78
5. Newberry, S.C. 70
6. LENOIR-RHYNE 68
7. Tusculum 65
8. Anderson, S.C. 47
9. Mars Hill 36
10. Coker 30
11. Queens 23
SAC PRESEASON BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE
First team
OF – Danton Hyman, Newberry
OF – Chandler Castleberry, Anderson
OF – Jarel McDade, Tusculum
1B – Dillon Carpenter, Anderson
2B – Daulton Martin, Tusculum
SS – Colin Allman, Newberry
3B – Jackson Raper, Catawba
C – Matt Honeycutt, Mars Hill
DH – Heath Mitchem, Catawba
SP – Ethan Elliott, Lincoln Memorial
SP – John Grigg, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP – Austin Turgeon, Wingate
RP – DJ Laxton, Catawba
Second team
OF – Seth Hunt, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Will Reddick, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Tanner Lane, Newberry
1B – Alex Reynolds, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B – McCann Mellett, Wingate
SS – Tyler Adams, Lincoln Memorial
3B – Tyler Schneider, Wingate
C – Ethan Goforth, Carson-Newman
SP – Joe Bobiak, Lincoln Memorial
SP – Charles Hall, Tusculum
SP – Ryan Harbin, Newberry
RP – Charlie Fessler, Newberry