MOREHEAD CITY, NC – The Catawba Valley Red Hawks Baseball team took two of the major sports awards while placing two players on First Team All-Region 10 and three players on the All-Region 10 Defensive Team. Sophomore, outfield Chandler Jenkins won Region 10 Player of the Year and Riley Smith was named Region 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Jenkins and Cole Whitney were each named First Team All-Region while Jimmy Marcelli, Harry Hatcher, and Smith were named All-Region 10 Defensive team.
Jenkins claims the Player of the Year award and is the second player in a row from CVCC to win the Award, Ty Andrus won in 2016. Jenkins also earned a First Team All-Region nod finishing the regular season first in the region in 8 offensive categories. Jenkins belted 18 homeruns while grabbing 157 total bases (2nd had 119) and 72 runs batted in (2nd had 61). Nationally, Jenkins is top 5 in 6 offensive categories and top 3 in 5. Jenkins who will graduate from CVCC this spring will attend East Carolina University next season to continue his baseball career.
Cole Whitney joins Jenkins as a First Team All-Region selection. Whitney led the Region in innings pitched during the regular season with 81.0 innings. Whitney also recorded the most strikeouts in the region with 93 and was sixth in the region with 10.33 strikeouts per 9 innings. Whitney posted a 2.56 earned run average which was fourth best in the region. With only 19 walks on the season Whitney posted one of the best strikeouts to walk ratios with 4.89 strikeouts per walk. Whitney is graduating this spring will attend Georgia Southern next season to continue his baseball career.
Sophomore catcher, Riley Smith, was named the Region 10 All-Defensive team catcher and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Smith posted an impressive .996 fielding percentage in having only 1 error on 256 total chances, fourth most in the Region. Smith also recorded 242 putouts, fourth most in the region, and threw out 7 base stealers on the season on 18 attempts. Smith is graduating this spring and will attend Appalachian State next season to continue his baseball career.
Joining Smith on the All-Defensive team is freshman second baseman, Jimmy Marcelli and redshirt freshman pitcher, Harry Hatcher. Marcelli had 121 total chances with 5 errors on the season for a .959 fielding percentage. Marcelli also recorded 43 putouts and 73 assists while recording 13 double plays. Hatcher posted a 1.000 fielding percentage with 13 total chances on the season.
The Red Hawks will open up the tournament as the number five seed and will face the number 4 seed Patrick Henry at 2:00pm. For more information visit http://region10sports.com/sports/bsb/2016-17/releases/20170508ln4pm6.