ROCK HILL, SC - After a 31-21 (18-9 Big South) regular season in 2019 filled with great wins, team efforts and individual performances, Winthrop baseball had five players named to the 2019 All-Big South teams. Senior OF
Hunter Lipscomb, Senior RHP
Nate Pawelczyk, and Junior RHP
Colten Rendon earned First Team honors, while Junior RHP
Zach Peek and Junior C
Spencer Yankle earned Second Team honors. In addition to his First Team selection,
Hunter Lipscomb was also named to the All-Big South Academic Team.
Hunter Lipscomb was perhaps Winthrop's steadiest and most consistent hitter in 2019. The Senior finished the regular season with a .344 batting average, good for third overall in the Big South (.356 in Big South play) and finished second in the Big South Conference in on base percentage at .458. Lipscomb hit 6 home runs and drove in 44 runs (7th in the Big South) and drew the second-most walks in the league with 39 free passes. Defensively, Lipscomb completed 102 of 104 defensive chances in right field. Lipscomb was named Big South Player of the Week the week of March 18.
Nate Pawelczyk went 8-4 on the mound in 2019 with a 3.39 ERA, his 8 wins tying him for the most in the Big South Conference. Pawelczyk finished the year tied for the league lead with two complete games, second in the league in strikeouts with 73, and third in the conference in innings pitched with 82.1. Pawelczyk went at least six innings in 10 of his 13 starts, and went seven innings or more five times. He allowed only 18 extra base hits all season, and recorded eight quality starts (six innings and three or fewer earned runs). Pawelczyk was named Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week on February 25.
Colten Rendon finished the regular season recording a 2.78 ERA across 25 relief appearances (32.1 IP), recording 8 saves, which tied him for the most in the Big South. Of Rendon's 25 outings, in only six did he allow a run to cross the plate against him. Rendon ended the regular season throwing shutout ball in 11 of his last 12 outings, and ended the year with 7 straight scoreless outings against Big South opponents, spanning 9.0 innings. Between April 2 and May 4, Rendon tallied nine straight scoreless outings overall, totaling 11.1 innings. Rendon was named Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week the last three weeks of the season consecutively.
Zach Peek went 6-3 in 13 starts with a 4.37 ERA. Peek led the Big South Conference in strikeouts with 85, recording eight or more strikeouts in a game seven times. Peek pitched to the tune of a 3.65 ERA against Big South opponents, recording 61 strikeouts in league games, also the most in the Big South. Peek fired a complete game shutout against Gardner-Webb April 18, and was named Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week April 22 for his effort.
Spencer Yankle hit .337 in 2019 with 5 home runs and 37 RBI with a .404 on base percentage and a .490 slugging percentage. Yankle's 68 total hits were the fourth most in the Big South Conference and the most among league catchers. Yankle recorded 17 multi-hit games and hit safely in 43 of 51 games played. Yankle committed only 2 errors behind the plate in 2019, boasting a .991 fielding percentage.
These Eagles and their teammates have won six consecutive Big South series and will look to take their hot play into this week's Big South Tournament in Fayetteville, N.C. The Eagles will play 9 a.m. Wednesday in their first tournament game, with the opponent dependant upon the results of Tuesday's action. High Point, Charleston Southern and USC Upstate are the Eagles' potential opponents in game one.
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