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Challenger and Cleveland Named Preseason All-Sun Belt
2/2/2017 2:24:00 PM | Baseball
Eagles open the season on February 17th
STATESBORO, GA. – The change of the calendar to February means the start of baseball season is just weeks away. The Sun Belt Conference opened the month by announcing the 2017 Preseason Sun Belt All-Conference selections after a vote by the league's 12 head coaches. Georgia Southern seniors Evan Challenger and Ryan Cleveland were named to the team in anticipation of the 2017 campaign.
Senior left-handed pitcher Evan Challenger enters the 2017 season as the ace of a loaded Georgia Southern pitching staff. Earning his second-straight All-Sun Belt nod a year ago, Challenger picked up seven wins and 77 strikeouts in 2016. He held opposing batters to a .219 average while posting a 3.14 ERA.
Ryan Cleveland enters his senior season after blasting 15 home runs in 2016. A Second Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2016, the Eagle first baseman started all 60 games and hit .286 with a .586 slugging percentage which ranked third in the league. Recording a .404 on base percentage, Cleveland posted hits in 15-striaght games and reached base in 37-consecutive contests as a junior.
Louisiana led the way with four all-conference honorees, followed by Coastal Carolina (3), Georgia Southern, and South Alabama (2). Little Rock, UTA and Texas State each placed one student-athlete on the all-conference team.
The baseball preseason coaches' poll will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Eagle fans will get an opportunity to meet Georgia Southern spring sport student-athletes on Saturday (February 4th) at the Spring Sports Fan Fest. The event at J.I. Clements Stadium features a baseball scrimmage at 10 a.m., following by a kid's clinic at 12:30 p.m. Autograph signings for spring sports start at Noon with the baseball team signing autographs at 1:30 p.m. To register for the kid's clinic, visit GSEagles.com/LittleEaglesBaseball.
The 2017 Georgia Southern baseball season starts on Feb. 17 as the Eagles open a three-game series against Middle Tennessee. The following weekend sees Georgia's biennial trip to Statesboro for another three-game series. The 2017 campaign wraps-up with the Sun Belt Baseball Championships in Statesboro on Jack Stallings Field and J.I. Clements Stadium. Get your season tickets by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.
2017 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Baseball Team
Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina, Starting Pitcher, Senior)
Evan Challenger (Georgia Southern, Starting Pitcher, Redshirt Senior)
Gunner Leger (Louisiana, Starting Pitcher, Junior)
Dylan Moore (Louisiana, Relief Pitcher, Junior)
Brady Cox (UTA, Catcher, Senior)
Ryan Cleveland (Georgia Southern, First Base, Senior)
Jonathan Ortega (Texas State, Second Base, Sophomore)
Drew LaBounty (South Alabama, Shortstop, Redshirt Junior)
Seth Lancaster (Coastal Carolina, Third Base, Junior)
Dalton Thomas (Little Rock, Outfield, Senior)
Billy Cooke (Coastal Carolina, Outfield, Junior)
Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama, Outfield, Sophomore)
Steven Sensley (Louisiana, Designated Hitter, Junior)
Joe Robbins (Louisiana, Utility Player, Senior)
2017 Preseason Player of the Year
Dalton Thomas (Little Rock, Outfield, Senior)
2017 Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina, Starting Pitcher, Senior)
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.
Senior left-handed pitcher Evan Challenger enters the 2017 season as the ace of a loaded Georgia Southern pitching staff. Earning his second-straight All-Sun Belt nod a year ago, Challenger picked up seven wins and 77 strikeouts in 2016. He held opposing batters to a .219 average while posting a 3.14 ERA.
Ryan Cleveland enters his senior season after blasting 15 home runs in 2016. A Second Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2016, the Eagle first baseman started all 60 games and hit .286 with a .586 slugging percentage which ranked third in the league. Recording a .404 on base percentage, Cleveland posted hits in 15-striaght games and reached base in 37-consecutive contests as a junior.
Louisiana led the way with four all-conference honorees, followed by Coastal Carolina (3), Georgia Southern, and South Alabama (2). Little Rock, UTA and Texas State each placed one student-athlete on the all-conference team.
The baseball preseason coaches' poll will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Eagle fans will get an opportunity to meet Georgia Southern spring sport student-athletes on Saturday (February 4th) at the Spring Sports Fan Fest. The event at J.I. Clements Stadium features a baseball scrimmage at 10 a.m., following by a kid's clinic at 12:30 p.m. Autograph signings for spring sports start at Noon with the baseball team signing autographs at 1:30 p.m. To register for the kid's clinic, visit GSEagles.com/LittleEaglesBaseball.
The 2017 Georgia Southern baseball season starts on Feb. 17 as the Eagles open a three-game series against Middle Tennessee. The following weekend sees Georgia's biennial trip to Statesboro for another three-game series. The 2017 campaign wraps-up with the Sun Belt Baseball Championships in Statesboro on Jack Stallings Field and J.I. Clements Stadium. Get your season tickets by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.
2017 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Baseball Team
Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina, Starting Pitcher, Senior)
Evan Challenger (Georgia Southern, Starting Pitcher, Redshirt Senior)
Gunner Leger (Louisiana, Starting Pitcher, Junior)
Dylan Moore (Louisiana, Relief Pitcher, Junior)
Brady Cox (UTA, Catcher, Senior)
Ryan Cleveland (Georgia Southern, First Base, Senior)
Jonathan Ortega (Texas State, Second Base, Sophomore)
Drew LaBounty (South Alabama, Shortstop, Redshirt Junior)
Seth Lancaster (Coastal Carolina, Third Base, Junior)
Dalton Thomas (Little Rock, Outfield, Senior)
Billy Cooke (Coastal Carolina, Outfield, Junior)
Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama, Outfield, Sophomore)
Steven Sensley (Louisiana, Designated Hitter, Junior)
Joe Robbins (Louisiana, Utility Player, Senior)
2017 Preseason Player of the Year
Dalton Thomas (Little Rock, Outfield, Senior)
2017 Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina, Starting Pitcher, Senior)
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.
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