SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Three Keydets were named Thursday to the 2022 Southern Conference pre-season team, selected by the league's coaches.

Red-shirt sophomore first baseman Justin Starke was named to the first team, while red-shirt junior outfielder Will Knight and red-shirt sophomore pitcher Tyler Bradt are on the second-team.

Starke earned first-team 2021 VaSID All-State University Division accolades and was the SoCon's Freshman of the Year. He paced the Keydets with a .422 batting average, a .525 on base percentage and a .602 slugging percentage. Starke ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in batting average and sixth in on-base percentage and led the conference in both categories. He finished the season by reaching base safely in the last 24 straight-games, including a 13-game hitting streak.

Knight, playing right field, had a .290 batting average in 2021 with a .397 on-base percentage and .449 slugging percentage. He scored 32 times and tied for the team-high with 29 RBI. Knight hit five doubles, a triple and a team-high seven home runs. Bradt, a right-hander, took over as the third weekend starter in the mid-season of 2021. He led the team with a 3.20 ERA in 17 games with six starts to earn SoCon All-Freshman Team honors.
Wofford College was selected as the top team in both the coaches and media polls, with Mercer University in second. VMI was picked to finish seventh.

The 2022 baseball opening weekend begins on Feb. 18 with all eight teams in action. The regular season ends the weekend of May 21, before the 2022 SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases takes place at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina, from May 24-29.
 
Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)      Points
1. Wofford (6)                         48
2. Mercer (1)                          40
3. Western Carolina (1)          39
4. ETSU                                  28
5. UNCG                                 25
6. Samford                             19
7. VMI                                     16
8. The Citadel                         9
 
Preseason Media Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)      Points
1. Wofford (8)                         127
2. Mercer (3)                          113
3. Samford (4)                        100
4. Western Carolina (2)           87
5. ETSU                                  74
6. UNCG                                 54
7. VMI                                     37
8. The Citadel                         20
 
 
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Pascanel Ferreras, So., SS, Western Carolina
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Colby Stuart, Sr., ETSU
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
SP     Colby Stuart, Sr., ETSU
SP     Zebby Matthews, Jr., Western Carolina
RP     Dalton Rhadans, Sr., Wofford
C       Lawson Hill, Sr., Wofford
1B     Justin Starke, R-So., VMI
2B     Will Prater, Sr., Western Carolina
SS      Pascanel Ferreras, So., Western Carolina
3B     Will David, Jr., Samford
OF     Ryan McCarthy, Grad., The Citadel
OF     Bill Knight, Jr., Mercer
OF     Nolen Hester, Sr., Wofford
DH    Bryce Hodge, Sr., ETSU 

Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
SP     Austin Parsley, Sr., UNCG
SP     Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
RP     Luke Sutko, Sr., Mercer
C       Kaden Dreier, Jr., Samford
1B     Angelo DiSpigna, Jr., Mercer
2B     Hogan Windish, Jr., UNCG
SS      Ashton King, Jr., ETSU
3B     David Burke, So., Mercer
OF     Colby Thomas, So., Mercer
OF     Will Knight, R-Jr., VMI
OF     Trey Yunger, Jr., Wofford
DH    Daniel Walsh, Sr., Western Carolina