2015 SIAC Baseball All-Conference Honors Announced

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