ROCK HILL, S.C. - After Anderson University baseball's regular season came to a close on Monday and it prepares for its first trip to the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament in its program's history, the Trojans were well-represented on the conference postseason teams, as three Trojans were named to the All-SAC First Team, announced Wednesday by the conference office.
Seniors Jonathan Zalud and Nathan Galliford joined sophomore first baseman Steven Cooper on the first team, as all three players earned their first conference postseason or preseason accolade of their respective careers. Junior right-hander Landon Beck was named to the All-SAC Honorable Mention list, while Zalud and junior shortstop Brett Cash was selected to the SAC Gold Glove Team.
Zalud led all catchers in the league with a .366 average and ranked 13th in the conference with 13 doubles and 20 RBI. The Sarasota, Fla. native recorded 12 multi-hit contests, including a streak of five games between April 11-19 where he posted multi-hits in each game in the span. Zalud tallied a season-high four hits on three occasions this season, including a 4-for-4 performance with four RBI against North Greenville on Feb. 27. In his 131 at-bats this season, Zalud has stuck out just 12 times.
The senior was also named to the conference's Gold Glove list, becoming the first catcher in the program's history to claim the honor. Zalud completed the entire regular season without making an error behind the plate while throwing out 10 base runners.
Joining Zalud on the Gold Glove list was Cash, who was responsible for 88 putouts and 144 assists on the season. The Anderson native has made one error in his last 12 games, getting the start in the middle of the infield in every game.
Galliford enters the SAC Tournament tied for the nation's home run lead with 15 for the season while hitting .322 on the year and driving in 47 runs, which ranks second in the SAC. Galliford's 113 total bases and 32 walks ranks second in the conference, while his .638 slugging percentage and 44 runs scored puts him in fourth in the league. The Miami, Fla. native highlighted his season with a two-homer game against Lincoln Memorial on April 12.
Cooper comes into the annual postseason tournament as the league leader in hits (68), doubles (18), RBI (48) and total bases (114). Cooper's 41 runs ranks fifth in the SAC, while his .585 slugging percentage ranks ninth in the league. The Williamston, S.C. native has strung together hitting streaks of 15 and 12 games throughout the year as the sophomore is currently hitting .349 for the season.
Beck, who was named to the All-SAC Second Team as season ago as a reliever, moved into a weekend starting role after the first conference series of the year. As the third game starter, Beck paced the club with five complete games while ranking second in the SAC and eighth nationally with 84 strikeouts. His 11.17 strikeouts per game leads the conference and is 18th nationally, while holding batters to a .289 average.
The five honorees look to lead the Trojans this week at the conference tournament in Forest City, N.C. Anderson begins its postseason campaign with a meeting against top-seeded Catawba with first pitch scheduled for noon.
All-SAC First Team
C - Jonathan Zalud, Anderson
1B - Steven Cooper, Anderson
2B - Brantley Rumford, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS - Craig Brooks, Catawba
3B - Ryan Cranmer, Newberry
OF - Ivan Vieitez, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF - Josh Coker, Lincoln Memorial
OF - Nathan Galliford, Anderson
DH - T.J. Wharton, Catawba
SP - Craig Brooks, Tusculum
SP - Olen Little, Wingate
SP - Shaefer Shepard, Catawba
RP - Ryan McClintock, Catawba
All-SAC Second Team
C - Josh Clark, Wingate
1B - Kelvin Brito, Lincoln Memorial
2B - Vinny Ferrara, Tusculum
2B - Jean Rodriguez, Lincoln Memorial
SS - Evan Rogers, Mars Hill
3B - T.J. Giczkowski, Coker
OF - Bo Ausmus, Carson-Newman
OF - Eric Serra, Wingate
OF - Keaton Hawks, Catawba
DH - Taylor Foster, Tusculum
SP - Ben Currie, Wingate
SP - Wesley Camp, Newberry
SP - Jake Nidiffer, Newberry
RP - Josh Coker, Lincoln Memorial
All-SAC Honorable Mention
C - Kyle Floyd, Lincoln Memorial
1B - Paul Kronenfeld, Catawba
SS - Michael Godinez, Wingate
3B - John Topoleski, Tusculum
OF - Blake Houston, Catawba
OF - Ernie Kirkwood, Coker
OF - Alex Kirby, Newberry
DH - Eric Barbieri, Newberry
SP - Cole Cromer, Newberry
SP - Landon Beck, Anderson
SP - Caleb Edwards, Mars Hill
RP - Daniel Nations, Newberry
SAC Gold Glove Team
C - Jonathan Zalud, Anderson
1B - Dalton Eisenbath, Mars Hill
2B - Julio Zubillaga, Catawba
SS - Brett Cash, Anderson
3B - John Topoleski, Tusculum
OF - Tommy Scala, Mars Hill
OF - Alex Kirby, Newberry
OF - Bo Ausmus, Carson-Newman
P - Wesley Camp, Newberry
SAC Player of the Year: Josh Coker, Lincoln Memorial
SAC Pitcher of the Year: Craig Brooks, Catawba
SAC Freshman of the Year: Shaefer Shepard, Catawba
SAC Co-Coaches of the Year: Jim Gantt, Catawba/Jeff Gregory,
Wingate
