SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) has been named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year as voted on by Southern Conference Sports Media Association, and is joined by three other members of the 2011 Cougars as All-Southern Conference First Team selections. Aldrich was also named Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches in voting released yesterday.
Redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.), junior LHP Josh Renfro (Bradenton, Fla.) and redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) join Aldrich on the all-conference first team, while sophomore RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C.) earned a second team nod.
Aldrich excelled from the start for the Cougars, batting .372 with 22 home runs and 72 runs batted in during his rookie campaign. He led all Division I freshmen in home runs and RBIs as well as slugging percentage (.794) and total bases (162). The freshman was one of the main reasons Charleston led the Southern Conference in scoring for the fourth time in the past five seasons. He had 25 multi-hit games on the season and built a team-best 17-game hitting streak in February and March.
Leeds is batting .347 with 18 home runs and a team-high 75 RBIs, good for fourth in the country, and Renfro has posted a 9-2 record with a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts. In SoCon play, the southpaw is a perfect 7-0 in 10 league starts. Kral is batting .332 on the season with 10 home runs and 46 runs batted in. He has recorded a team-high 58 walks, a mark that ranks second in the country. Powell boasts a team-best 3.13 ERA with a 7-1 record in 11 starts and is holding opponents to a .226 batting average
Georgia Southern’s Victor Roache was voted the Southern Conference Player of the Year while Elon’s John Brebbia has been honored as the Pitcher of the Year. UNCG head coach Mike Gaski was voted as the league's Coach of the Year.
2011 SoCon Sports Media Association Baseball All-Conference
Player of the Year – Victor Roache, So., OF, Georgia Southern
Pitcher of the Year – John Brebbia, Jr., RHP, Elon
Freshman of the Year – Daniel Aldrich, OF, College of Charleston
Coach of the Year – Mike Gaski, UNCG
First Team
SP Josh Renfro, College of Charleston
SP Andy Moye, Georgia Southern
RP John Brebbia, Elon
C Rob Kral, College of Charleston
1B Saxon Butler, Samford
2B Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
SS Eric Phillips, Georgia Southern
3B Matt Leeds, College of Charleston
OF Daniel Aldrich, College of Charleston
OF Victor Roache, Georgia Southern
OF Phillip Ervin, Samford
DH Stephen Notaro, Western Carolina
Second Team
SP Ryan Arrowood, Appalachian State
SP Christian Powell, College of Charleston
RP Matt Murray, Georgia Southern
C Trevor Edwards, UNCG
1B Aaron Thompkins, Furman
2B Sebastian Gomez, Elon
SS Neal Pritchard, Elon
3B Austin Schultz, Western Carolina
OF Jack Myers, Appalachian State
OF Nick Orvin, The Citadel
OF Shawn Payne, Georgia Southern
DH Mac Doyle, Wofford
Redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.), junior LHP Josh Renfro (Bradenton, Fla.) and redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) join Aldrich on the all-conference first team, while sophomore RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C.) earned a second team nod.
Aldrich excelled from the start for the Cougars, batting .372 with 22 home runs and 72 runs batted in during his rookie campaign. He led all Division I freshmen in home runs and RBIs as well as slugging percentage (.794) and total bases (162). The freshman was one of the main reasons Charleston led the Southern Conference in scoring for the fourth time in the past five seasons. He had 25 multi-hit games on the season and built a team-best 17-game hitting streak in February and March.
Leeds is batting .347 with 18 home runs and a team-high 75 RBIs, good for fourth in the country, and Renfro has posted a 9-2 record with a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts. In SoCon play, the southpaw is a perfect 7-0 in 10 league starts. Kral is batting .332 on the season with 10 home runs and 46 runs batted in. He has recorded a team-high 58 walks, a mark that ranks second in the country. Powell boasts a team-best 3.13 ERA with a 7-1 record in 11 starts and is holding opponents to a .226 batting average
Georgia Southern’s Victor Roache was voted the Southern Conference Player of the Year while Elon’s John Brebbia has been honored as the Pitcher of the Year. UNCG head coach Mike Gaski was voted as the league's Coach of the Year.
2011 SoCon Sports Media Association Baseball All-Conference
Player of the Year – Victor Roache, So., OF, Georgia Southern
Pitcher of the Year – John Brebbia, Jr., RHP, Elon
Freshman of the Year – Daniel Aldrich, OF, College of Charleston
Coach of the Year – Mike Gaski, UNCG
First Team
SP Josh Renfro, College of Charleston
SP Andy Moye, Georgia Southern
RP John Brebbia, Elon
C Rob Kral, College of Charleston
1B Saxon Butler, Samford
2B Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
SS Eric Phillips, Georgia Southern
3B Matt Leeds, College of Charleston
OF Daniel Aldrich, College of Charleston
OF Victor Roache, Georgia Southern
OF Phillip Ervin, Samford
DH Stephen Notaro, Western Carolina
Second Team
SP Ryan Arrowood, Appalachian State
SP Christian Powell, College of Charleston
RP Matt Murray, Georgia Southern
C Trevor Edwards, UNCG
1B Aaron Thompkins, Furman
2B Sebastian Gomez, Elon
SS Neal Pritchard, Elon
3B Austin Schultz, Western Carolina
OF Jack Myers, Appalachian State
OF Nick Orvin, The Citadel
OF Shawn Payne, Georgia Southern
DH Mac Doyle, Wofford
