DI/SIAC/Baseball
SIAC Media
COLUMBIA, South Carolina – The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announced its 2015 baseball all-conference honors as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Third baseman Damien Bivens, outfielder Jared Maner, and pitcher Hunter Hood highlighted the all-conference team.
Claflin’s Bivens (5-11, 205, Soph., Wingate, North Carolina) was named the 2015 SIAC Player of the Year after leading the Panthers to the number two seed in the Eastern Division. Through 42 games, he leads the team in batting with a .324 batting average with nine doubles, nine home runs and 47 runs batted in.
Morehouse’s Maner (5-11, 190, Fr., Atlanta, Georgia) ended his inaugural season with the Maroon Tigers as the SIAC Freshman of the Year. In 31 games played, he registered 29 starts en route to a .412 batting average, 22 runs scored, three doubles and four home runs. He also had 23 runs batted in and six stolen bases.
Stillman’s Hood (6-3, 185, Fr., Haleyville, Alabama) led the Tigers from Tuscaloosa in wins. In 12 appearances, he finished 6-5 overall with a 3.62 earned run average. Through 64 inches, he has built an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hood is holding opposing batters to a .199 average with 31 walks allowed and 88 strikeouts.
Benedict head coach Selwin Young was named the 2015 SIAC Baseball Coach of the Year after guiding the Tigers to a 22-15 overall record, a 13-5 conference mark and the number one seed in the Eastern Division.
Joining Bivens in the first team infield are Paine’s Jazhil Morel and Avery Wilson, Benedict’s Andre Collum and Albany State’s Terrence Worthy. In the first team outfield are Maner, Albany State’s Jeremy Arrington and Stillman’s Paul Winterbottom. Benedict’s Yaniel Delgado and Hood represent the pitchers on the first team.
The second-team infield consists of Kentucky State’s Marshall Howard, Miles’s Keland Smith, Albany State’s Ryan Latner, Stillman’s Fernando Tanaka and Benedict’s Shomari Thomas. In the outfield, Kentucky State’s Alexander Davie, Paine’s Kendrick and Stillman’s Nick Vitale were honored while Paine’s Evan Krenz and Claflin’s Justin Vreeland were honored as pitchers.
Baseball All-Conference Honors
1st Team 2nd Team
Jazhiel Morel Jr. Paine C Marshall Howard Sr. Kentucky St.
Andre Collum Sr. Benedict 1B Keland Smith Jr. Miles
Avery Wilson Sr. Paine 2B Ryan Latner Sr. Albany St.
Terrence Worthy Soph. Albany St. SS Fernando Tanaka Sr. Stillman
Damien Bivens Soph. Claflin 3B Shomarii Thomas Fr. Benedict
Jeremy Arrington Soph. Albany St. OF Alexander Davie Sr. Kentucky St.
Jared Maner Fr. Morehouse OF Kendrick Elder Soph. Paine
Paul Winterbottom Sr. Stillman OF Nick Vitale Jr. Stillman
Hunter Hood Fr. Stillman SP Evan Krenz Fr. Paine
Yaniel Delgado So. Benedict RP Justin Vreeland Sr. Claflin
Baseball Specialty Awards
Coach of the Year Selwyn Young Benedict
Freshman of the Year Jared Manner Fr. Atlanta, Georgia Morehouse
Player of the Year Damien Bivens Soph. Wingate, North Carolina Claflin
Relief Pitcher of the Year Yaniel Delgado Soph. San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico Benedict
Starting Pitcher of the Year Hunter Hood Fr. Haleyville, Alabama Stillman
Utility Player of the Year Joseph Holmes II Soph. Stone Mountain, Georgia Clark Atlanta