Charlotte, N.C. – Winthrop sophomore catcher Nicholas Badillo was voted to the Big South Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, announced by the league office Thursday afternoon. 

Badillo had an outstanding freshman campaign in 2023. He played in 29 games, starting in 26 of them. Badillo also led the team in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.540) and on-base percentage (.453).

Badillo's accomplishments led to a spot on the Big South All-Freshman Team and was also named the Big South Freshman of the Week on Mar. 27. His biggest highlight of the year was against Gardner-Webb on May 26. In the longest game in Big South Tournament history, Winthrop defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs in the first elimination game of the second day of the tournament in High Point's Truist Point Stadium by a final score of 10-9 in 15 innings on his walk-off single.

The preseason poll was also released today. The Eagles were tied for fourth in the voting for the preseason poll.

USC Upstate is predicted to win the 2024 Big South title, garnering seven first-place votes while Gardner-Webb is projected to finish second. High Point was third in the poll, followed by Winthrop (one first-place vote) and UNC Asheville being picked to finish tied for fourth, Presbyterian, Charleston Southern, Longwood and Radford (one first-place vote).
 
The top four teams in the final conference standings will advance to the Big South Baseball Championship, which will be held May 23-25 at Truist Point in High Point, N.C.  The champion receives the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

2023 BIG SOUTH BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
 

Rk - School (first-place votes)	Points
1 - USC Upstate (7)	79
2 - Gardner-Webb	61
3 - High Point	50
T4 - Winthrop (1)	49
T4 - UNC Asheville	49
6 - Presbyterian	39
7 - Charleston Southern	32
8 - Longwood	27
9 - Radford (1)	19

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving nine points, followed by 8 points for second-place, and so on. 
 
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
OF    Robbie Burnett, Jr., UNC Asheville
OF    Brett Ahalt, R-Jr., High Point
OF    Daniel Gernon, R-Sr., USC Upstate
OF    Dylan Bacot, 5th Year, UNC Asheville
INF    Grant Sherrod, R-Sr., USC Upstate
INF    Brody Fahr, Sr., Presbyterian
INF    Cael Chatham, Gr., High Point
INF    Alec Burns, Gr., Gardner-Webb
INF    Adam Stuart, R-Sr., High Point
C      Nicholas Badillo, Soph., Winthrop
DH    Jace Rinehart, Jr., USC Upstate
UTL   Noah Sullivan, Jr., USC Upstate
SP    Gus Hughes, Sr., High Point
SP    Henry Proger, Sr., USC Upstate
SP    Mathieu Curtis, Soph., USC Upstate
SP    Ethan Walker, Soph., Longwood
RP    Jake Cubbler, R-Jr., USC Upstate
RP    Tanner Smith, 5th Year, Presbyterian
RP    Justin Honeycutt, Sr., UNC Asheville
 
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Robbie Burnett, OF, Jr., UNC Asheville
 
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Gus Hughes, SP, Sr., High Point