University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper
Four Named to C-USA Preseason Baseball Team; Squad Picked to Finish 1st in West
2/11/2021 11:01:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Conference USA announced its 2021 preseason baseball awards, Thursday, with Southern Miss enjoying a league-high four preseason honors, including Pitcher of the Year, Walker Powell.
Southern Miss also collected 10 votes to finish first in the West Division as well as the favorite to win the league's championship. The Golden Eagles won the last C-USA tournament title that was awarded in 2019.
In 2020, Powell collected a 3-0 record in four starts, with all of his outings going at least seven innings and all were quality starts. He ended the year with 22 strikeouts and only two walks over 29 innings of work.
A pair of Southern Miss pitchers join him on the team in sophomore starter Gabe Shepard (16 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched last year) and senior reliever Hunter Stanley (2-0, 1.42 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 3 saves). Also tabbed to the team was junior outfielder Gabe Montenegro (.290, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 5 stolen bases).
Florida Atlantic was picked to win the East Division and Louisiana Tech outfielder Parker Bates earned preseason Player of the Year honors. All the voting was done by the league's 12 head coaches.
The 2021 Conference USA baseball season begins Friday, February 19. The 2021 C-USA Baseball Championship will be May 26-30 in Ruston, La.
2021 PRESEASON BASEBALL AWARDS
1. Florida Atlantic (10)
2. Old Dominion (1)
3. FIU (1)
4. WKU
5. Charlotte
6. Marshall
WEST
1. Southern Miss (10)
2. Louisiana Tech (2)
3. Rice
4. Middle Tennessee
5. UTSA
6. UAB
(first place votes in parentheses)
SP - Hunter Gregory, Jr., Old Dominion
SP - Walker Powell, Sr., Southern Miss
RP - Hunter Stanley, Sr., Southern Miss
C - J Paul Fullerton, Sr., UAB
IF - Derek Cartaya, r-Sr., FIU
IF - Brett Coker, So., Middle Tennessee
IF - Braden Comeaux, Sr., Rice
IF - Hunter Wells, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF - Taylor Young, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF - Parker Bates, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF - Bobby Morgensen, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OF - Gabe Montenegro, Jr., Southern Miss
DH/UT - Mitchell Hartigan, So., Florida Atlantic
DH/UT - Davis Sims, Sr., WKU
Southern Miss also collected 10 votes to finish first in the West Division as well as the favorite to win the league's championship. The Golden Eagles won the last C-USA tournament title that was awarded in 2019.
In 2020, Powell collected a 3-0 record in four starts, with all of his outings going at least seven innings and all were quality starts. He ended the year with 22 strikeouts and only two walks over 29 innings of work.
A pair of Southern Miss pitchers join him on the team in sophomore starter Gabe Shepard (16 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched last year) and senior reliever Hunter Stanley (2-0, 1.42 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 3 saves). Also tabbed to the team was junior outfielder Gabe Montenegro (.290, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 5 stolen bases).
Florida Atlantic was picked to win the East Division and Louisiana Tech outfielder Parker Bates earned preseason Player of the Year honors. All the voting was done by the league's 12 head coaches.
The 2021 Conference USA baseball season begins Friday, February 19. The 2021 C-USA Baseball Championship will be May 26-30 in Ruston, La.
2021 PRESEASON BASEBALL AWARDS
(as selected by C-USA's head coaches)
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
EAST1. Florida Atlantic (10)
2. Old Dominion (1)
3. FIU (1)
4. WKU
5. Charlotte
6. Marshall
WEST
1. Southern Miss (10)
2. Louisiana Tech (2)
3. Rice
4. Middle Tennessee
5. UTSA
6. UAB
(first place votes in parentheses)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Parker Bates, Louisiana Tech (Senior, OF)PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Walker Powell, Southern Miss (Senior, RHP)ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
SP - Gabe Shepard, So., Southern MissSP - Hunter Gregory, Jr., Old Dominion
SP - Walker Powell, Sr., Southern Miss
RP - Hunter Stanley, Sr., Southern Miss
C - J Paul Fullerton, Sr., UAB
IF - Derek Cartaya, r-Sr., FIU
IF - Brett Coker, So., Middle Tennessee
IF - Braden Comeaux, Sr., Rice
IF - Hunter Wells, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF - Taylor Young, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF - Parker Bates, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF - Bobby Morgensen, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OF - Gabe Montenegro, Jr., Southern Miss
DH/UT - Mitchell Hartigan, So., Florida Atlantic
DH/UT - Davis Sims, Sr., WKU
Players Mentioned
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