ATLANTA, Ga. – The ASUN Conference announced its All-Conference team on Thursday afternoon, naming six members of the Kennesaw State baseball team to its First and Second teams.
Starting pitcher Jake Rice and designated hitter Garrett Hodges highlight the First Team, while starting pitcher Ryan Kennedy, catcher Tyler Tolve, second baseman Jesse Sherrill and outfielder Alex Carballo make the Second Team list.
With six honorees among both the First and Second Team All-Conference squads, this matches the highest tally in the program's record. The only other time the ASUN All-Conference team sported six Owls was 2014, the same year Kennesaw State won their first ASUN Tournament and made it to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Jake Rice became the KSU ace after his transfer from Presbyterian College and played the part perfectly. The Birmingham, Ala. native ends his 2021 season with the best earned-run-average in the conference, tying for second in pitching victories. Rice's 1.71 ERA ranks 18th in all of collegiate baseball; much of this is to do with his incredible run to start the season, as the leftie was one of three college baseball pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched who hadn't allowed an earned run. No performance highlighted the hurler's prowess quite like the team's 5-1 win against No. 24 Georgia Tech, where Rice allowed a single run off of three hits in his six innings of work. He struck out six Yellow Jackets in the win.
In a season with plenty of home runs, outfielder Garrett Hodges led the way with eight bombs. His six homers against ASUN teams is the second-best figure in the conference and his total tally ties him in fifth. While being named as the ASUN's First Team All-Conference selection at designated hitter, the left fielder placed second in RBIs and total bases in conference play. His .365 batting average against teams in Kennesaw State's division is a top-10 average in the ASUN. His hitting talents were on full display March 13 against Bellarmine, where the slugger went five-for-five with two RBIs against the Louisville, Ky. team.
Sunday starter Ryan Kennedy ends his season in the top-five winningest pitchers of the 2021 ASUN season. The left-handed pitcher went on an incredible run to close out the season, winning six of his last seven starts. His overall 3.97 ERA ranks eighth in the conference, while his 2.70 ERA in ASUN play ranks seventh. Pitched in three memorable performances this season: six shutout innings against the University of Georgia; earned an ASUN Pitcher of the Week for a seven-inning complete game against Lipscomb in the only shutout of KSU's season; allowed a lone run off of four hits in a win against No. 24 Georgia Tech.
Head Coach Mike Sansing's first choice at backstop was ASUN Preseason All-Conference selection Tyler Tolve, who ended the ASUN season tied in third among RBI league leaders with 44. The catcher holds the eighth-best batting average in the conference, with a fifth-best .387 batting average in conference play. The Sprayberry High School graduated tied for eighth in the ASUN with seven home runs this season and grabbed more total bases in ASUN play than any other player in the conference.
Jesse Sherrill is the ASUN's Second Team choice at second base, having finished second in the conference in stolen bases with 12 after battling injury late in the season. The Floridian barely misses out on the top 10 in batting average, as his .317 rate is ranked 11th in the ASUN. The transfer from Gordon State College solidified himself as one of the top middle infielders defensively this season, turning more double plays than any other ASUN player this year and committing only three errors all year at second base.
It's difficult to find a hitter in the ASUN harder to get out than center fielder Alex Carballo. With his .448 on base percentage listed as fourth in the conference's league leaders, Carballo was the second-most walked slugger in the ASUN and his .327 overall batting average ranks eighth. The senior's 11 stolen bases puts him in the top five among baserunners in that category. Carballo's one of the elite defensive outfielders in the conference, making only two errors all season and dolling out three assists.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
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May 21, 2021 at 02:13AM
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Six Owls Named in ASUN All-Conference Team, Tying Program Record - Kennesaw State University Athletics - Kennesaw State Athletics
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