FEATURE: Eagles in the Summer Leagues – Sunbelt Baseball League
7/28/2022 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
Seven-part feature catches up with GS baseball players on summer league teams
STATESBORO – 18 Georgia Southern baseball players have kept busy after the conclusion of the baseball season by playing in various summer baseball leagues around the country. For the rest of the week, we will be checking in on our players and seeing how they are performing over the summer. For today, we will be looking at first baseman Phillip Ard, outfielder Preston Gunnell, catcher JD Kaiser, and LHP Will Robbins.
The Sunbelt Baseball League is part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball which receives funding from Major League Baseball. The SBL is a wooden bat league and has most of its teams located in the Metro Atlanta area. Ard, Gunnell, and Kaiser play for the Alpharetta Aviators while Robbins plays for the Waleska Wild Things.
The Aviators finished the season with a 7-20 record, while the Wild Things finished with a 16-12 record and are in the SBL playoffs.
PHILLIP ARD
Ard finished his season with a .229 batting average, knocking 19 hits with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI with 14 runs scored of his own in 27 games for a .349 slugging percentage. Ard also had 16 walks on the season to earn a .363 on-base percentage, combining for a .712 OPS to finish the summer. One of Ard's best performances this season was on June 3, an 8-4 win over the Gwinnett Astros, where Ard went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored of his own.
PRESTON GUNNELL
Gunnell finished his season with a .207 batting average, with 12 hits, two doubles, three RBI, and 12 runs scored of his own in 24 games for a .241 slugging percentage. Gunnell had nine walks on the season for a .343 on-base percentage with nine stolen bases, including three in the season finale against the Atlanta Crackers. One of Gunnell's best performances this season was on July 15, a 10-0 win over the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots, where he went 1-for-1 with a run scored, two RBI, and two walks.
JD KAISER
Kaiser finished the season with a .298 batting average with 17 hits, two doubles, two gomers, nine RBI, and 10 runs scored in 20 games for a .439 slugging percentage. Kaiser also earned six walks for a .369 on-base percentage (including three stolen bases) for a .808 OPS. One of Kaiser's best performances this season was also on July 15, the aforementioned 10-0 win over the Chatt-a-Hoots, when he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and drove in another runner.
WILL ROBBINS
Robbins has appeared in four games for the Waleska Wild Things this season, starting three, and has posted a 4.39 ERA with a 1-0 record so far this season, striking out 18 opposing batters in 14.1 innings while only letting seven walk. In Robbins' last appearance, he earned his first win of the season by pitching for six innings, sitting down seven Aviators batters while only allowing a single run to score. Robbins has had multiple strikeouts in all four of his outings this season.
LINKS
Sunbelt Baseball League
Alpharetta Aviators
Waleska Wild Things
Ard Stats
Gunnell Stats
Kaiser Stats
Robbins Stats
SCHEDULE
July 21 – Appalachian League – Thomas Ross
July 22 – Cape Cod League – Ben Johnson, Noah Ledford, Jaylen Paden
July 25 – Coastal Plain League – Troy Britts, Jarrett Brown, Blake Evans
July 26 – Perfect Game Collegiate League – J.C. Peacher, JP Tighe, Ga'von Wray
July 27 – Ripken Collegiate League – Sam Blancato, Jarrett Jenkins
July 28 – Sunbelt Baseball League – Phillip Ard, Preston Gunnell, JD Kaiser, Will Robbins
July 29 – Valley League – Corey Dowdell, Brett Zerbel
The Sunbelt Baseball League is part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball which receives funding from Major League Baseball. The SBL is a wooden bat league and has most of its teams located in the Metro Atlanta area. Ard, Gunnell, and Kaiser play for the Alpharetta Aviators while Robbins plays for the Waleska Wild Things.
The Aviators finished the season with a 7-20 record, while the Wild Things finished with a 16-12 record and are in the SBL playoffs.
PHILLIP ARD
Ard finished his season with a .229 batting average, knocking 19 hits with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI with 14 runs scored of his own in 27 games for a .349 slugging percentage. Ard also had 16 walks on the season to earn a .363 on-base percentage, combining for a .712 OPS to finish the summer. One of Ard's best performances this season was on June 3, an 8-4 win over the Gwinnett Astros, where Ard went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored of his own.
PRESTON GUNNELL
Gunnell finished his season with a .207 batting average, with 12 hits, two doubles, three RBI, and 12 runs scored of his own in 24 games for a .241 slugging percentage. Gunnell had nine walks on the season for a .343 on-base percentage with nine stolen bases, including three in the season finale against the Atlanta Crackers. One of Gunnell's best performances this season was on July 15, a 10-0 win over the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots, where he went 1-for-1 with a run scored, two RBI, and two walks.
JD KAISER
Kaiser finished the season with a .298 batting average with 17 hits, two doubles, two gomers, nine RBI, and 10 runs scored in 20 games for a .439 slugging percentage. Kaiser also earned six walks for a .369 on-base percentage (including three stolen bases) for a .808 OPS. One of Kaiser's best performances this season was also on July 15, the aforementioned 10-0 win over the Chatt-a-Hoots, when he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and drove in another runner.
WILL ROBBINS
Robbins has appeared in four games for the Waleska Wild Things this season, starting three, and has posted a 4.39 ERA with a 1-0 record so far this season, striking out 18 opposing batters in 14.1 innings while only letting seven walk. In Robbins' last appearance, he earned his first win of the season by pitching for six innings, sitting down seven Aviators batters while only allowing a single run to score. Robbins has had multiple strikeouts in all four of his outings this season.
LINKS
Sunbelt Baseball League
Alpharetta Aviators
Waleska Wild Things
Ard Stats
Gunnell Stats
Kaiser Stats
Robbins Stats
SCHEDULE
July 21 – Appalachian League – Thomas Ross
July 22 – Cape Cod League – Ben Johnson, Noah Ledford, Jaylen Paden
July 25 – Coastal Plain League – Troy Britts, Jarrett Brown, Blake Evans
July 26 – Perfect Game Collegiate League – J.C. Peacher, JP Tighe, Ga'von Wray
July 27 – Ripken Collegiate League – Sam Blancato, Jarrett Jenkins
July 28 – Sunbelt Baseball League – Phillip Ard, Preston Gunnell, JD Kaiser, Will Robbins
July 29 – Valley League – Corey Dowdell, Brett Zerbel
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball2026 Only For Southern
Thursday, February 26
2026 Georgia Southern Football Ticket Video
Wednesday, February 25
The GATA Zone - Air Rifle
Thursday, February 19
Walk and Talk: J.I. Clements Stadium
Friday, February 13
