Alabama State’s Breon Pooler (Huntsville, Ala.) was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Pitcher of the Year, leading a contingent of nine players selected preseason all-conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Pooler appeared in 12 games as a weekend starter for the Hornets last season, all of which were starts. He recorded a 3.36 earned run average to go along with a 1.13 WHIP. Pooler finished the year with a 5-3 record with one complete game and a shutout. He logged 64.1 innings, allowing just 41 hits and 34 runs (24 earned), while striking out 84 batters with just 32 walks. Alabama State’s opponents hit just .183 in 224 official at-bats with Pooler on the mound.
Joining Pooler on the first team is catcher Hunter May (Slidell, La.) after hitting .351 and recording a 1.080 OPS last season. The junior finished with 33 hits in 94 official at-bats in 34 games (31 starts). He finished with 10 doubles and three home runs, while driving in 24 runs and scoring another 31. He also finished with a .553 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage. Senior outfielder Jabronski Williams (Troy, Ala.) earned First Team honors as an outfielder after hitting .320 with most of his at-bats coming at the leadoff position. He finished the season with a .943 OPS and picked up 49 hits in 149 official at-bats, including seven doubles, two triples, and four home runs. He knocked in 29 runs and scored another 47, while also recording a team-high 10 stolen bases.
Cristopher DeGuzman (Fajardo, Puerto Rico) was among the First Team selections, earning the nod at shortstop after hitting .367 last season with an OPS of .957. He finished the year with 58 hits in 158 official at-bats, including eight doubles, four triples, and a pair of homeruns. The senior also knocked in 31 runs and scored another 44, while stealing eight bases.
Senior first baseman Chris Lewis (Alabaster, Ala.) earned the Second Team nod at first base after hitting .289 last season in 135 official at-bats. He finished the year with a .768 OPS and picked up 39 hits including seven doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs. Lewis finished the year driving in 31 runs and scoring another 22. He was joined on the Second Team by second baseman Jayden Sloan (Montgomery, Ala.) who hit .309 last season with a .819 OPS, while also picking up 30 hits. He finished the season with six doubles, two triples and a home run, while also driving in 23 runs and scoring another 24.
Trenton Jamison (Atlanta, Ga.) led the team last season, hitting .390 with an OPS of 1.094 in 39 games and was named Second Team Preseason All-SWAC at third base despite moving to the outfield this season. Jamison picked up 64 hits in 164 official at-bats, including 12 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. He also drove in 43 runs and scored another 44, all while recording a slugging percentage of .634.
The Hornets also had Angel Jimenez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) named Second Team as the designated hitter after posting a .293 batting average. He finished the season with 22 hits, including six doubles and three home runs, while driving in 16 runs and scoring another 13. He was joined on the Second Team by reliever Payton Harris (Hattiesburg, Miss.) who finished the year with a 1.29 earned run average and 0.83 WHIP, while recording three saves. He finished 2-1 with 42.0 innings working, striking out 58.
Alabama State opens the regular season next weekend in New Orleans (La.) at the Andre Dawson Classic.