The South Atlantic Conference announced its All-Conference teams on Thursday and five members of Lenoir-Rhyne were announced as first team members.

Outfielders Blake Bean and Wade Cuda, first baseman Tyler McPeak, second baseman Cole Laskowski, and designated hitter Sal Carricato all received the highest level of recognition from the conference. The Bears led the league with the most first team selections, Newberry received four, while Wingate and Catawba each got two.

Bean, the Kalamazoo College transfer from Farmington Hills, Mich. leads the Bears with a 1.217 OPS. Starting in all 50 games of the regular season, the graduate student also leads LR with 69 hits, 16 doubles and 140 total bases. In addition, Bean tied the then-single season record for most home runs at 17 long balls.

Cuda, from Orlando, Fla. appeared in all 50 games this season for LR and turned his season around with a stellar conference stretch. During the 24 games in league play, Cuda ranked second in the conference with a .437 batting average. The redshirt senior also knocked 16 extra-base hits in SAC games while only suffering 10 strikeouts.

McPeak, the Campbell University transfer from Denver, N.C., etch himself in the LR record books with a single-season program record 18 home runs. McPeak also leads the Bears with 60 RBIs and five sacrifice flyouts.

Laskowski, from Lancaster, N.Y., leads the team and conference with 37 walks. The redshirt sophomore also started in all 50 games for the Bears this season and was the only member from LR to be selected to the SAC All-Defensive Team. He only committed five errors all year long and helped turn a team-most 24 double plays.

Carricato, the Herkimer Community College transfer from Long Island, N.Y., leads the Bears this season with a .367 batting average. The redshirt sophomore also recorded 23 extra-base hits that included 11 home runs to help him register a 1.156 OPS.

A pair of LR pitchers also received All-Conference honors with Andrew Patrick and Jackson Reid being recognized as Second and Third Team members, respectively.

Patrick, from Catawba, N.C., leads the Bears this season with 83 strikeouts. Amongst the weekend starters, the redshirt senior leads the team with a 3.39 ERA and fewest earned runs allowed at 24.

Reid, from Mooresville, N.C., transitioned well from a relief role to a starting role for the Bears with a 6-1 record; the best winning percentage amongst the weekend starters. The redshirt junior dialed up a 4.34 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in his 56.0 innings pitched over 12 starts.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team will begin their postseason journey at Newberry, S.C., on Friday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. against the No. 4 seeded Carson-Newman Eagles.

The entire 2023 SAC All-Conference Baseball Teams can be found below:

First Team All-SAC
OF – Blake Bean, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Wade Cuda, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Donovan Ford, Newberry
1B – Tyler McPeak, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B – Cole Laskowski, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Braylin Marine, Newberry
3B – Seaver King, Wingate
C – Rhett Jolly, Newberry
DH – Sal Carricato, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP – Mitch Farris, Wingate
SP – Bennett Roemer, Newberry
SP – Austin Fine, Catawba
RP – Robbie Cowie, Catawba

Second Team All-SAC
OF – Wayne Mize, Emory & Henry
OF – Jordan Lathe, Mars Hill
OF – Tyler Ranel, Tusculum
1B – Cole Harness, UVA Wise
2B – Carson Simpson, Wingate
SS – Levi Perrell, Catawba
3B – Christian Ortega, Tusculum
C – Mitchell Balint, Carson-Newman
DH – Kody Hanna, Coker
SP – Patrick Queener, Lincoln Memorial
SP – Andrew Patrick, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP – Tyler Chinpire, Newberry
RP – Corey Avant, Wingate

Third Team All-SAC
OF – Dylan Driver, Catawba
OF – Jermie Greene Jr., Emory & Henry
OF – Sean Barnett, Wingate
1B – Brett Adams, Wingate
2B – Hunter Meador, UVA Wise
SS – Ben Scartz, Tusculum
3B – Jonathan Velez, Newberry
C – Carlos Hernandez, Anderson
DH – Carson Boles, Lincoln Memorial
SP – Austin Mitchell, Wingate
SP – Marty Neal, Limestone
SP – Jackson Reid, Lenoir-Rhyne
RP – Jake Wright, Carson-Newman

All-Defensive Team
RF – Dylan Driver, Catawba
CF – Donovan Ford, Newberry
LF – Kade Faircloth, Newberry
1B – Brett Adams, Wingate
2B – Cole Laskowski, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Ben Scartz, Tusculum
3B – Jonathan Velez, Newberry
C – Rhett Jolly, Newberry
P – Mitch Farris, Wingate

Player of the Year
Braylin Marine, Newberry

Pitcher of the Year
Mitch Farris, Wingate

Freshman of the Year
Bennett Roemer, Newberry

Coach of the Year
Russell Triplett, Newberry