University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Seven Make C-USA Baseball Selections; Powell and Ostrander Cited with Individual Awards
5/25/2021 1:57:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Seven Southern Miss players and a Golden Eagle assistant coach were recognized Tuesday as All-Conference USA baseball honorees in a release by the league office. The awards were announced following a vote of the league's 12 head coaches and media relations contacts, as well as selected media members.
Four Golden Eagles enjoyed first-team honors, including freshman outfielder Reed Trimble (Brandon, Miss.), sophomore designated hitter Charlie Fischer (Edina, Minn.) and senior right-handed starting pitchers Walker Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.) and Hunter Stanley (Hammond, La.).
Second team selections from Southern Miss encompassed junior outfielder Gabe Montenegro (Guatemala City, Guatemala), freshman right-handed starting pitcher Ben Ethridge (Collinsville, Miss.) and sophomore left-handed reliever Ryan Och (Carver, Minn.).
Powell, who posted a 9-2 record with a 2.56 earned run average and a seven-inning no-hitter to his credit this spring, picked up the league's Pitcher of the Year honors. He also had a team-high five complete games during the regular season, fanning 76 and walked 13 over 77 1/3 innings. His 29 career victories ranks tied for second on the Golden Eagle career victory chart and that win total also is first in Division I among current active leaders.
Christian Ostrander, who mentored his Golden Eagle pitching staff to league leads in ERA (3.53) and fewest walks (108), captured the Assistant Coach of the Year award. His staff are also among the nation's leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1st), walks allowed by nine innings (2nd), shutouts (5th) and WHIP (4th). His squad did not hit the 100-walk mark until the last weekend of the regular season and are on pace to allow its fewest free passes since 1980. The pitching staff recorded seven complete games and seven shutouts during the regular season, the most the Golden Eagles have blanked an opponent since 2015.
It is the third time a Southern Miss assistant coach collected top assistant honors in the seven times that they have awarded it.
Both Ethridge and Trimble were also chosen for the C-USA All-Freshman team.
Trimble registered a .323 batting average with team highs of 14 home runs and 55 RBI to go along with a team-best 11 stolen bases, while Fischer held a team-best .333 batting average with seven homers and 34 RBI and currently ranks among the nation's leaders in on-base percentage at .508. Stanley, who recorded a 5-3 record with a 2.54 ERA, led the team with 105 strikeouts and only 15 walks over 85 innings as the team's Friday night starter.
Montenegro, who boasted the team's best hitting streak at 15 games, collected a .330 batting mark during the regular season including a team-best 19 doubles, four homers and 25 RBI. Ethridge collected a 6-1 record with a 2.77 ERA in 12 starts with 75 strikeouts and only 11 walks.
Out of the pen, Och notched a 6-0 record with two saves and a 1.69 ERA as he fanned 41 and walked just nine in over 26 2/3 innings.
The Golden Eagles open the Air Force Reserve C-USA Tournament, Wednesday, as the No. 3 seed in the event and when play No. 6 seed WKU. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.
2021 Conference USA Baseball Selections
Player of the Year
Austin Knight, So., 3B, Charlotte
Pitcher of the Year
Walker Powell, Sr., RHP, Southern Miss
Freshman of the Year
Carter Trice, Fr., 2B, Old Dominion
Defensive Player of the Year
Taylor Young, Sr., 2B, Louisiana Tech
Newcomer of the Year
Austin Knight, So., 3B, Charlotte
Keith LeClair Coach of the Year
Robert Woodard, Charlotte
Assistant Coach of the Year
Christian Ostrander, Southern Miss
1st Team All-Conference
IF Austin Knight, So., Charlotte
IF Taylor Young, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF Hunter Wells, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF Carter Trice, Fr., Old Dominion
OF Parker Bates, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF Kyle Battle, Sr., Old Dominion
OF Reed Trimble, Fr., Southern Miss
C Nick Thornquist, Sr., UTSA
DH Charlie Fischer, So., Southern Miss
UT Manny Garcia, Sr., Louisiana Tech
SP Bryce McGowan, So., Charlotte
SP Jonathan Fincher, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Hunter Gregory, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Hunter Stanley, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Walker Powell, Sr., Southern Miss
RP Christian Lothes, Fr., Charlotte
RP David Zoz, Sr., Middle Tennessee
2nd Team All-Conference
IF Nolan Schanuel, Fr., Florida Atlantic
IF B.J. Murray, So., Florida Atlantic
IF Tommy Bell, Jr., Old Dominion
IF Griffin Paxton, Sr., UTSA
OF Andy Garriola, Jr., Old Dominion
OF Gabe Montenegro, Jr., Southern Miss
OF Jackson Gray, So., WKU
C Aaron McKeithan, So., Charlotte
DH Will Butcher, Fr., Charlotte
UT Cade Edwards, Sr., Rice
SP Hunter Cooley, So., Florida Atlantic
SP Aaron Brown, Jr., Middle Tennessee
SP Ryne Moore, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Ben Ethridge, Fr., Southern Miss
RP Jason Hartline, Jr., Old Dominion
RP Ryan Och, So., Southern Miss
All-Freshman Team
INF Gino Groover, Charlotte
INF Adrian Figueroa, FIU
INF Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic
INF Carter Trice, Old Dominion
INF Chandler Simpson, UAB
OF Cole McConnell, Louisiana Tech
OF Reed Trimble, Southern Miss
DH Will Butcher, Charlotte
DH Nathan Becker, Rice
SP Ben Ethridge, Southern Miss
RP Christian Lothes, Charlotte
RP Noah Dean, Old Dominion
Four Golden Eagles enjoyed first-team honors, including freshman outfielder Reed Trimble (Brandon, Miss.), sophomore designated hitter Charlie Fischer (Edina, Minn.) and senior right-handed starting pitchers Walker Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.) and Hunter Stanley (Hammond, La.).
Second team selections from Southern Miss encompassed junior outfielder Gabe Montenegro (Guatemala City, Guatemala), freshman right-handed starting pitcher Ben Ethridge (Collinsville, Miss.) and sophomore left-handed reliever Ryan Och (Carver, Minn.).
Powell, who posted a 9-2 record with a 2.56 earned run average and a seven-inning no-hitter to his credit this spring, picked up the league's Pitcher of the Year honors. He also had a team-high five complete games during the regular season, fanning 76 and walked 13 over 77 1/3 innings. His 29 career victories ranks tied for second on the Golden Eagle career victory chart and that win total also is first in Division I among current active leaders.
Christian Ostrander, who mentored his Golden Eagle pitching staff to league leads in ERA (3.53) and fewest walks (108), captured the Assistant Coach of the Year award. His staff are also among the nation's leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1st), walks allowed by nine innings (2nd), shutouts (5th) and WHIP (4th). His squad did not hit the 100-walk mark until the last weekend of the regular season and are on pace to allow its fewest free passes since 1980. The pitching staff recorded seven complete games and seven shutouts during the regular season, the most the Golden Eagles have blanked an opponent since 2015.
It is the third time a Southern Miss assistant coach collected top assistant honors in the seven times that they have awarded it.
Both Ethridge and Trimble were also chosen for the C-USA All-Freshman team.
Trimble registered a .323 batting average with team highs of 14 home runs and 55 RBI to go along with a team-best 11 stolen bases, while Fischer held a team-best .333 batting average with seven homers and 34 RBI and currently ranks among the nation's leaders in on-base percentage at .508. Stanley, who recorded a 5-3 record with a 2.54 ERA, led the team with 105 strikeouts and only 15 walks over 85 innings as the team's Friday night starter.
Montenegro, who boasted the team's best hitting streak at 15 games, collected a .330 batting mark during the regular season including a team-best 19 doubles, four homers and 25 RBI. Ethridge collected a 6-1 record with a 2.77 ERA in 12 starts with 75 strikeouts and only 11 walks.
Out of the pen, Och notched a 6-0 record with two saves and a 1.69 ERA as he fanned 41 and walked just nine in over 26 2/3 innings.
The Golden Eagles open the Air Force Reserve C-USA Tournament, Wednesday, as the No. 3 seed in the event and when play No. 6 seed WKU. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.
2021 Conference USA Baseball Selections
Player of the Year
Austin Knight, So., 3B, Charlotte
Pitcher of the Year
Walker Powell, Sr., RHP, Southern Miss
Freshman of the Year
Carter Trice, Fr., 2B, Old Dominion
Defensive Player of the Year
Taylor Young, Sr., 2B, Louisiana Tech
Newcomer of the Year
Austin Knight, So., 3B, Charlotte
Keith LeClair Coach of the Year
Robert Woodard, Charlotte
Assistant Coach of the Year
Christian Ostrander, Southern Miss
1st Team All-Conference
IF Austin Knight, So., Charlotte
IF Taylor Young, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF Hunter Wells, Sr., Louisiana Tech
IF Carter Trice, Fr., Old Dominion
OF Parker Bates, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OF Kyle Battle, Sr., Old Dominion
OF Reed Trimble, Fr., Southern Miss
C Nick Thornquist, Sr., UTSA
DH Charlie Fischer, So., Southern Miss
UT Manny Garcia, Sr., Louisiana Tech
SP Bryce McGowan, So., Charlotte
SP Jonathan Fincher, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Hunter Gregory, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Hunter Stanley, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Walker Powell, Sr., Southern Miss
RP Christian Lothes, Fr., Charlotte
RP David Zoz, Sr., Middle Tennessee
2nd Team All-Conference
IF Nolan Schanuel, Fr., Florida Atlantic
IF B.J. Murray, So., Florida Atlantic
IF Tommy Bell, Jr., Old Dominion
IF Griffin Paxton, Sr., UTSA
OF Andy Garriola, Jr., Old Dominion
OF Gabe Montenegro, Jr., Southern Miss
OF Jackson Gray, So., WKU
C Aaron McKeithan, So., Charlotte
DH Will Butcher, Fr., Charlotte
UT Cade Edwards, Sr., Rice
SP Hunter Cooley, So., Florida Atlantic
SP Aaron Brown, Jr., Middle Tennessee
SP Ryne Moore, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Ben Ethridge, Fr., Southern Miss
RP Jason Hartline, Jr., Old Dominion
RP Ryan Och, So., Southern Miss
All-Freshman Team
INF Gino Groover, Charlotte
INF Adrian Figueroa, FIU
INF Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic
INF Carter Trice, Old Dominion
INF Chandler Simpson, UAB
OF Cole McConnell, Louisiana Tech
OF Reed Trimble, Southern Miss
DH Will Butcher, Charlotte
DH Nathan Becker, Rice
SP Ben Ethridge, Southern Miss
RP Christian Lothes, Charlotte
RP Noah Dean, Old Dominion
Players Mentioned
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