SPARTANBURG, S.C. - With the team preparing to open the SoCon Tournament Wednesday in Charleston, VMI baseball earned seven all-conference honors as the league announced its postseason awards Monday morning. Matt Winn, Jordan Tarsovich, Will Connerley, Brandon Barbery and Collin Fleischer were recognized on the various teams, with Winn and Tarsovich being named First Team All-SoCon on both the coach and media-selected squads. Connerley earned second team honors on the coaches' unit, while Barbery and Fleischer earned all-freshman honors.
With Winn and Tarsovich being tabbed for the conference's first teams, it is only the second time in the last 10 years that VMI has placed a pair of players on a conference's first team. It is the first time that either of the redshirt seniors has made a all-conference first team.
Tarsovich enters the SoCon Tournament tied for the league lead in stolen bases with 23. He is hitting a robust .335 and ranks eighth in the league in runs scored despite VMI missing a handful of early season games due to weather. Tarsovich also became only the fourth Keydet ever to draw 100 career walks earlier this season, and is just four hits shy of 200 for his career at the Institute.
Winn enters the tournament hitting .315 with 13 home runs, a total that is tied for fourth in the SoCon. He posted a 14-game hitting streak earlier this season and ranks in the top-20 in Division I in caught stealing percentage. Winn was named a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award this past weekend, marking the second time in the last three years he has earned that accolade. It is the second career all-conference honor for Winn, after his Second Team All-Big South laurel in 2013.
Connerley earned Second Team All-SoCon honors on the coaches' squad, the first career all-conference honor of his career. He enters the tournament tied with Winn with 13 long balls and may be the hottest hitter in the league over the past 10 days. During that time, he is batting .423 with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Barbery and Fleischer earned All-Freshman recognition for their solid first years, led by Fleischer's .355 average in conference play. The first baseman also has all four of his home runs and 18 RBI in conference play. Barbery has five wins on the year, one short of tying for seventh place on the school's all-time single season record listing.
The five honorees and their teammates open SoCon Tournament play Wednesday night in Charleston, S.C., taking on #5-seeded UNCG. First pitch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., and a full game preview will be posted Tuesday.
2015 All-Southern Conference Baseball Teams (coaches)
Player of the Year – Kyle Lewis, So., OF, Mercer
Pitcher of the Year – James Reeves, R-Jr., LHP, The Citadel
Freshman of the Year – Austin Edens, DH, Samford
Coach of the Year – Craig Gibson, Mercer
First Team
SP James Reeves, The Citadel
SP Eric Nyquist, Mercer
RP Andres Gracia, Samford
C Matt Winn, VMI
1B Conor Clancey, Wofford
2B Bradley Strong, Western Carolina
SS Jordan Tarsovich, VMI
3B Hunter Swilling, Samford
OF Connor Walsh, The Citadel
OF Kyle Lewis, Mercer
OF Heath Quinn, Samford
DH Austin Edens, Samford
Second Team
SP Ryan Clark, UNCG
SP Matthew Milburn, Wofford
RP Morgan Pittman, Mercer
C Danny Bermudez, Western Carolina
1B Alex Lee, Samford
2B Trey York, ETSU
SS Matt Meeder, Mercer
3B Chris Ohmstede, Furman
OF Eric Kalbfleisch, UNCG
OF Will Connerley, VMI
OF James Plaisted, Wofford
DH Matt Ramsay, Wofford
All-Freshman Team
Drew Ellis, The Citadel
JP Sears, The Citadel
Hagen Owenby, ETSU
Blake Chisolm, Furman
Will Gaddis, Furman
Trey Truitt, Mercer
Jackson Ware, Mercer
Andrew Wantz, UNCG
Austin Edens, Samford
Brandon Barbery, VMI
Collin Fleischer, VMI
Adam Scott, Wofford
2015 SoCon Sports Media Association Baseball All-Conference
Player of the Year – Kyle Lewis, So., OF, Mercer
Pitcher of the Year – James Reeves, R-Jr., LHP, The Citadel
Freshman of the Year – Austin Edens, DH, Samford
Coach of the Year – Craig Gibson, Mercer
First Team
SP James Reeves, The Citadel
SP Matthew Milburn, Wofford
RP Andres Gracia, Samford
C Matt Winn, VMI
1B Conor Clancey, Wofford
2B Bradley Strong, Western Carolina
SS Jordan Tarsovich, VMI
3B Hunter Swilling, Samford
OF Connor Walsh, The Citadel
OF Kyle Lewis, Mercer
OF Eric Kalbfleisch, UNCG
DH Austin Edens, Samford
Second Team
SP Eric Nyquist, Mercer
SP Alex Ledford, Samford
RP Will Stillman, Wofford
C Richard Greene, Samford
1B Alex Lee, Samford
2B Trey York, ETSU
SS Matt Meeder, Mercer
3B Chris Ohmstede, Furman
OF Jake Jones, Furman
OF Heath Quinn, Samford
OF James Plaisted, Wofford
DH Matt Smith, Western Carolina
