Southland Conference announces 2022 Baseball All-Academic teams

FRISCO, Texas – McNeese senior outfielder Payton Harden is the 2022 Southland Conference Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday along with the all-academic teams.

The Southland Conference Player of the Year, Harden boasts a 3.82 GPA in mass communications-public relations. He became just the fifth Cowboy to earn the top honors from the league and the first since 1994 (Deron Hofstetter). The 2022 All-Conference first-team selection and ABCA All-South Region Team member led the Southland in hitting (.378), total hits (85), triples (4) and stolen bases (26). His 85 base-hits ranked tied as the second-most in a single season in school history while his 252 career hits are two away from matching the school’s all-time mark of 254.

Harden, who hails from Atascocita, Texas, was one of four all-academic first team members for regular-season champion McNeese. The Cowboys and Nicholls led the way with five selections total, followed by tournament champion Southeastern with four selections. All eight schools had at least one representative on both first and second teams.

Four individuals own a perfect 4.00 GPA in McNeese seniors Reid Bourque, Julian Gonzales and Southland Relief Pitcher of the Year Cameron Foster, along with Northwestern State sophomore Drayton Brown.

UIW’s Ridge Rogers garnered his third all-academic nod, while Gonzales and Southeastern’s Evan Keller were also repeat selections.

Southland All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coach, sports information director and an academic staff member from each member school. Student-athletes must possess a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA and have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution to qualify. Nominees who were on the all-conference first team are automatically named Southland All-Academic.

The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the eight member schools, votes for the Student-Athlete of the Year. Student-Athlete of the Year candidates must have earned at least a 3.20 GPA and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.

McNeese’s Payton Harden named Student-Athlete of the Year

FRISCO, Texas – McNeese senior outfielder Payton Harden is the 2022 Southland Conference Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday along with the all-academic teams.

The Southland Conference Player of the Year, Harden boasts a 3.82 GPA in mass communications-public relations.   He became just the fifth Cowboy to earn the top honors from the league and the first since 1994 (Deron Hofstetter). The 2022 All-Conference first-team selection and ABCA All-South Region Team member led the Southland in hitting (.378), total hits (85), triples (4) and stolen bases (26). His 85 base-hits ranked tied as the second-most in a single season in school history while his 252 career hits are two away from matching the school’s all-time mark of 254.

Harden, who hails from Atascocita, Texas, was one of four all-academic first team members for regular-season champion McNeese. The Cowboys and Nicholls led the way with five selections total, followed by tournament champion Southeastern with four selections. All eight schools had at least one representative on both first and second teams.

Four individuals own a perfect 4.00 GPA in McNeese seniors Reid Bourque, Julian Gonzales and Southland Relief Pitcher of the Year Cameron Foster, along with Northwestern State sophomore Drayton Brown.

UIW’s Ridge Rogers garnered his third all-academic nod, while Gonzales and Southeastern’s Evan Keller were also repeat selections.

Southland All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coach, sports information director and an academic staff member from each member school. Student-athletes must possess a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA and have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution to qualify. Nominees who were on the all-conference first team are automatically named Southland All-Academic.

The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the eight member schools, votes for the Student-Athlete of the Year. Student-Athlete of the Year candidates must have earned at least a 3.20 GPA and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.

2022 Southland Conference Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year: Payton Harden, McNeese

2022 Southland Conference Baseball All-Academic First Team

2022 Southland Conference Baseball All-Academic Second Team

^{^} Student-Athlete of the Year

* Automatic selection

² Two-time all-academic selection

³ Three-time all-academic selection