The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its 2022 All-Conference awards for baseball. Individually, LaGrange's Joe Ruth was named Player of the Year while his coach, David Kelton, was named Coach of the Year. The N.C. Wesleyan pitching duo of Derrick Carter and Hunter Hill were named Pitcher of the Year and Rookie Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Brevard's Frankie Vasquez was named Rookie of the Year to round out the individual honors. Finally, the USA South recognized an All-Sportsmanship Team, consisting of one member from each competing school.
All nominees were submitted by each institution and the awards are voted on by the baseball coach at each institution. The divisional team voting is completed only by those coaches in the particular division. The first team all-conference and individual award voting is completed by all coaches.
Carter, a senior from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, becomes just the second player in Conference history to be named USA South Pitcher of the Year in consecutive seasons (Greg Van Sickler, Shenandoah, 2010 and 2011). He currently has a 7-2 record in 12 appearances, all of which were starts, and leads the Conference with 78.1 innings pitched, a 2.53 ERA, and 83 strikeouts. In Conference contests-only, Carter posted a 5-2 record and a 2.54 ERA with League-highs of 49.2 innings pitched and 57 strikeouts. This season, he collects First Team All-Conference and First Team East Division honors as a pitcher for the second consecutive season. Finally, Carter was named USA South Pitcher of the Week once this spring.
A freshman pitcher from Asheboro, North Carolina, Hunter Hill is the second consecutive Battling Bishop, and the third in the past four seasons, to earn USA South Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Year accolades as Danny Thompson won the award last season and senior Drew Tubb won it in 2018. Exclusively coming out of the bullpen, Hill has posted a 2-0 record in nine appearances. In 21.0 innings pitched, Hill has compiled a 2.57 ERA with 18 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .257. Against USA South foes-only, Hill was 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .237. For his efforts on the mound, Hill was named Second Team All-East Division at relief pitcher and USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Week twice this season.
https://usasouth.net/sports/bsb/2021-22/releases/20220401ovt93x
Pitcher of the Year Rookie Pitcher of the Year
Derrick Carter Hunter Hill
N.C. Wesleyan
The 2022 USA South Baseball All-Conference Team:
| First Team All-Conference 1B - Austin Morton, Pfeiffer 2B - Davie Morgan, N.C. Wesleyan 3B - Joe Ruth, LaGrange SS - Tyson Bass, N.C. Wesleyan C - Andrew Knight, Huntingdon DH/Util - Jack Layrisson, LaGrange OF - Carter Ballstadt, Piedmont OF - McKinley Erves, LaGrange OF - Zach Ferrell, Pfeiffer SP - Derrick Carter, N.C. Wesleyan SP - Eddie Patterson, Huntingdon RP - Jacob Brown, LaGrange |
| First Team East Division | Second Team East Division |
| 1B - Austin Morton, Pfeiffer 2B - Davie Morgan, N.C. Wesleyan 3B - Jackson Hobbs, N.C. Wesleyan SS - Tyson Bass, N.C. Wesleyan C - Jean Lagreca, N.C. Wesleyan DH/Util - Logan Barbour, William Peace OF - Zach Ferrell, Pfeiffer OF - Zach Lyon, N.C. Wesleyan OF - Rob Wilkerson, Methodist SP - Derrick Carter, N.C. Wesleyan SP - Danny Thompson, N.C. Wesleyan RP - Nathaniel Varnier, William Peace |
1B - Jacob Austin, Methodist 2B - Wesley Hall, Methodist 3B - Hunter Ward, William Peace SS - Brandt Brophy, Averett C - Jake Brown, Pfeiffer DH/Util - Spencer Nelson, Methodist OF - Drifton Padgett, N.C. Wesleyan OF - Landon Evans, Pfeiffer OF - Josh Pittman, Greensboro SP - Philip Berger, William Peace SP - Ryan Hill, Methodist RP - Hunter Hill, N.C. Wesleyan |
