9 Loyola players earn All-SSAC baseball honors

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference released its 2022 baseball postseason awards on Tuesday, and the Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team filled 24 positions between the All-Conference and All-Academic Teams.

A total of 21 student-athletes received awards, some earning multiple, and that includes nine all-conference selections and 15 on the all-academic list, which led the league.

Luke Clement, Allen Dennis and Stephen Still made it three on the SSAC All-Conference First Team, and Payton Alexander and Joshua Orr earned spots on the Second Team. Orr, along with Cameron Trosclair, Garrett Beadle and Matthew Weil, led the conference with four on the All-Freshman Team, and Dennis (3B) was joined by Jake Mills (SS) on the Gold Glove Team. Alexander, Wes Anderson, Matthew Bratton, Jacob Coleman, Mitchell Cope, Kason Cullins, Dennis, Tucker Ganley, Mark Johnston, Reid Perkins, Ross Selvaggi, Chandler Strader, Brenden Taravella, Matthew Villa and Weil made up the SSAC All-Academic team for the Pack, and Dennis was also chosen as the team’s representative on the Champions of Character Team.

Dennis became a two-time First Team selection and a three-time Gold Glove selection with Tuesday’s announcement. He’s currently second on the team with a .360 batting average and 10 doubles, but he leads the team in home runs (13), RBI (48), runs (48), hits (59), triples (3), walks (53) and on-base percentage (.527). Clement is the team leader in batting average, totaling a .400 mark in 125 at-bats this season. He’s also collected eight home runs, 31 RBI, 11 doubles, 29 runs and 50 hits as the team’s designated hitter. Still has been the team’s leader on the mound this season with a 2.73 earned run average and a 6-2 record in 69.1 innings. His 79 strikeouts are one shy of the single-season school record as well.

Alexander, who was the SSAC Player of the Year last season, hit .304 from the plate during the regular season with seven home runs, nine doubles, three triples, 46 runs and 34 RBI to grab a Second Team All-Conference spot. Orr, who played his first collegiate season this year, was a quality arm out of the bullpen for the Pack. He made 15 appearances with one start, amassing a 3-1 record with one save and a 2.96 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

Dennis was the conference’s Gold Glove third baseman for the second consecutive season after making the switch to the hot corner a year ago. The senior had just six errors on 138 total chances (.957 fielding percentage) with 70 putouts and 62 assists. Mills earned the league’s Gold Glove for the shortstop position, despite switching to a starting pitching role toward the end of the regular season. He only made three errors at the shortstop position in 122 total chances, too, and he had 32 putouts and 87 assists while leading the team in 17 double plays turned.

Trosclair and Beadle swapped playing time at first base, as both freshmen played well throughout the season. Beadle finished the season with 27 hits in 83 at-bats (.325 batting average), while Trosclair added 29 hits in 109 at-bats (.266). Beadle also had two doubles, 18 RBI and 29 runs scored, and Trosclair added seven homers, eight doubles, 21 RBI and 22 runs. Weil joins Orr on the All-Freshman Team as well, as Weil led the team with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings. The redshirt freshman appeared in 10 games this season with a couple of starts, striking out 10 and allowing just six earned runs in the process.

Loyola (31-20) is set to begin the SSAC Championship tournament this week as the No. 2 seed after recording a 16-8 conference record this season. The Wolf Pack will play No. 7 seed Blue Mountain College at 3 p.m. CDT on Wednesday at Historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia.

2022 SSAC BASEBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year: Shawn Ross, Faulkner (Ala.)

Coach of the Year: Patrick McCarthy, Faulkner (Ala.)

Pitcher of the Year: July Sosa, Faulkner (Ala.)

Newcomer of the Year: AJ Stinson, William Carey (Miss.)

Freshman of the Year: Miguel Oropeza, Talladega (Ala.)

Sportsmanship Award: Blue Mountain (Miss.)

First-Team All-Conference

Blake Roberts, Mobile (Ala.) – C

Alex Arauz, Faulkner (Ala.) – C

Luke Clement, Loyola (La.) – DH

Miguel Oropeza, Talladega (Ala.) – 1B

Matt Collins, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) – 2B

Allen Dennis, Loyola (La.) – 3B

Shawn Ross, Faulkner (Ala.) – SS

Alex Frilliman, Blue Mountain (Miss.) – INF

Tucker Musgrove, Mobile (Ala.) – OF

RJ Stinson, William Carey (Miss.) – OF

Dylan Hale, Blue Mountain (Miss.) – OF

Chris Williams, William Carey (Miss.) – OF

July Sosa, Faulkner (Ala.) – P

AJ Stinson, William Carey (Miss.) – P

Garrett Martin, Middle Georgia State – P

Stephen Still, Loyola (La.) – P

Hunter Varnadoe, Middle Georgia State – P

Second-Team All-Conference

Jan Rivera, Talladega (Ala.) – C

Magruder O’Bannon, William Carey (Miss.) – C

Samuel Plash, Mobile (Ala.) – DH

Ryan Wilson, Middle Georgia State – 1B

Payton Alexander, Loyola (La.) – 2B

Wiley Cleland, William Carey (Miss.) – 3B

Tony Rudolph, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) – SS

Brian Herrera, Middle Georgia State – INF

Jose Santiago, Talladega (Ala.) – OF

Patrick Lee, William Carey (Miss.) – OF

Rafael Gomez, Middle Georgia State – OF

Trevor Wells, Mobile (Ala.) – OF

Chris Williams, William Carey (Miss.) – P

Tyrus Cook, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) – P

JC Toro, Faulkner (Ala.) – P

Bailey Sellers, Mobile (Ala.) – P

Joshua Orr, Loyola (La.) – P

Gold Glove

Tyrus Cook, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) – P

Alex Arauz, Faulkner (Ala.) – C

Ryan Wilson, Middle Georgia State – 1B

Caleb Laird, William Carey (Miss.) – 2B

Allen Dennis, Loyola (La.) – 3B

Jake Mills, Loyola (La.) – SS

Kelvin Reese, Stillman (Ala.) LF

Taz Worrell, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) – CF

Dylan Hale, Blue Mountain (Miss.) – RF

All-Freshman Team

Miguel Oropeza, Talladega (Ala.)

Griff Minor, Stillman (Ala.)

Juan Trinidad, Faulkner (Ala.)

Cameron Trosclair, Loyola (La.)

Garrett Beadle, Loyola (La.)

Tony Rudolph, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Joshua Orr, Loyola (La.)

Mason Collins, Stillman (Ala.)

Matthew Weil, Loyola (La.)

Barnes & Noble College All-Academic Team

Wiley Cleland, William Carey (Miss.)

Michael Jackson III, William Carey (Miss.)

Jake Lycette, William Carey (Miss.)

Magruder O’Bannon, William Carey (Miss.)

Roderick Stinson Jr., William Carey (Miss.)

Caeleb Williams, William Carey (Miss.)

Brody Neveker, Middle Georgia State

Caleb Lanoux, Middle Georgia State

Carter Lott, Middle Georgia State

Clayton Smith, Middle Georgia State

Gabriel Dyar, Middle Georgia State

Garrett Martin, Middle Georgia State

Logan Howell, Middle Georgia State

Paolo Brossier, Middle Georgia State

Ryan Wilson, Middle Georgia State

Tommy Reyes-Cruz, Faulkner (Ala.)

Aaron Hammer, Faulkner (Ala.)

Payton Alexander, Loyola (La.)

Wes Anderson, Loyola (La.)

Matthew Bratton, Loyola (La.)

Jacob Coleman, Loyola (La.)

Mitchell Cope, Loyola (La.)

Kason Cullins, Loyola (La.)

Allen Dennis, Loyola (La.)

Tucker Ganley, Loyola (La.)

Mark Johnston, Loyola (La.)

Reid Perkins, Loyola (La.)

Ross Selvaggi, Loyola (La.)

Chandler Strader, Loyola (La.)

Brenden Taravella, Loyola (La.)

Matthew Villa, Loyola (La.)

Matthew Weil, Loyola (La.)

Jacob Frillman, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Dylan Hale, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Will Long, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Payton Phillips, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Joseph Schultz, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Kelton Hall, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Grady Lucas, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

William Rainer, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Reiley Tate, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Henry McDonald, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Joshua Smith, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Jackson Vance, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Easton Williams, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Trent Avery, Mobile (Ala.)

Thomas James, Mobile (Ala.)

T.J. Kervin, Mobile (Ala.)

Sean Mason, Mobile (Ala.)

Blake Roberts, Mobile (Ala.)

Samuel Plash, Mobile (Ala.)

Dalton Rone, Mobile (Ala.)

Bailey Sellers, Mobile (Ala.)

Lex Singleton, Mobile (Ala.)

Jack Treanor, Mobile (Ala.)

Christian Waltman, Mobile (Ala.)

Jared Whittle, Mobile (Ala.)

Jacob Wright, Mobile (Ala.)

Jose Angles, Stillman (Ala.)

Andrew Baker, Stillman (Ala.)

Cody Clark, Stillman (Ala.)

Mackenzie Cottingham, Stillman (Ala.)

Tre’en Dorsett, Stillman (Ala.)

Elijah Hammond, Stillman (Ala.)

Cristian Hernandez, Stillman (Ala.)

Varick Lawrence, Stillman (Ala.)

Kelvin Reese, Stillman (Ala.)

Zachary Wilson, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Jackson Smith, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Cuyler Morris, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Chandler Koerner, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Chase Howze, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Matthew Hager, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Davis Young, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Brock Harrison, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Jacob Mantooth, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Dakota Connell, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Jordan New, Talladega (Ala.)

Marcos Romano, Talladega (Ala.)

Norberto Hernandez, Talladega (Ala.)

Jose Santiago, Talladega (Ala.)

Champions of Character Team

Taz Worrell, Brewton-Parker (Ga.)

Zack Koon, Blue Mountain (Miss.)

Allen Dennis, Loyola (La.)

Elijah Hammonds, Stillman (Ala.)

Juan Trinidad, Faulkner (Ala.)

RJ Stinson, William Carey (Miss.)

Lex Singleton, Mobile (Ala.)

Caleb Lanoux, Middle Georgia State