Runnin’ Bulldogs Earn Seven Big South Baseball All-Conference Honors
May 25, 2021 | Baseball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb placed five men on the 2021 Big South Conference Baseball All-Conference team, while Ben LaSpaluto earned All-Academic team honors and head coach Jim Chester was named Co-Coach of the Year, as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
Cam Pearcey, Patrick Ferguson, and Mason Miller earned spots on the first team, with Eric Jones and Isaac Campbell being named to the second team.
Pearcey (Bradenton, Fla. / Lakewood Ranch HS) has batted .336 on the season with six doubles, three triples, and eight home runs. The senior outfielder has driven in 30 runs and led the Big South with 17 stolen bases. Pearcey had 16 games with multiple base hits and had the walkoff home run in GWU's 8-7 win over Winthrop on April 23.
Ferguson (North Huntingdon, Pa. / Pittsburgh Central Catholic) has been GWU's primary designated hitter all season, batting .299 with six doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs. He has a team-high 45 RBI and .633 slugging percentage and ranks in the top-ten among all Big South batters in in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.633), RBI (45), and walks (29).
Miller (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) has been GWU's top arm throughout the season, posting a 7-1 record with a 3.40 ERA in 13 starts. He led the Big South with 109 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a league-low .211 average. Miller was second in the league in wins (7) and innings pitched (84.2). He fanned 10 or more batters on six occasions throughout the season, including a season-high 13 in a 6-2 win at Campbell on March 5.
Jones (Charlotte Court House, Va. / Randolph-Henry HS) played in 43 games throughout the season, batting a team-high .356 with 11 doubles and six home runs with 29 RBI. Jones had 15 games with multiple base hits, including a 4-for-4 effort at Winthrop on May 18 and ranked sixth in the Big South in batting average (.354) and eighth in slugging percentage (.538).
Campbell (Advance, N.C. / Davie County HS) moved to the bullpen early in the season, where he became one of GWU's most reliable relievers. In 18 trips in relief, Campbell forged a 3.82 era with a 2-2 record and six saves, which ranked second in the Big South. He tossed 33.0 innings, recording 37 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a .211 average. Throughout the season, Campbell allowed only 47 base hits, the least among all pitchers in the league.
LaSpaluto (Apex, N.C. / Panther Creek HS) played 44 games at shortstop throughout the season with a .247 batting average with six doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He drove in 22 runs and had a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 13th inning in GWU's 5-2 win over Winthrop on April 13. LaSpaluto led the Big South with 125 assists and turned 14 double plays on the year. Academically, LaSpaluto has a cumulative 4.0 GPA with a major in mathematics and accounting.
Chester led Gardner-Webb to its best regular season finish in the program's Division I history, placing third in the Big South standings with a 27-13 (.675) league record. The Runnin' Bulldogs won seven conference series, including the last five, and had four weekend sweeps.
Gardner-Webb begins its quest for the Big South title Thursday evening, taking on USC Upstate in the opening round of the 2021 Ingles Big South Baseball Championship at approximately 7:00 pm at SEGRA Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C. Live coverage of the event can be found on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com / ESPN App).
Cam Pearcey, Patrick Ferguson, and Mason Miller earned spots on the first team, with Eric Jones and Isaac Campbell being named to the second team.
Pearcey (Bradenton, Fla. / Lakewood Ranch HS) has batted .336 on the season with six doubles, three triples, and eight home runs. The senior outfielder has driven in 30 runs and led the Big South with 17 stolen bases. Pearcey had 16 games with multiple base hits and had the walkoff home run in GWU's 8-7 win over Winthrop on April 23.
Ferguson (North Huntingdon, Pa. / Pittsburgh Central Catholic) has been GWU's primary designated hitter all season, batting .299 with six doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs. He has a team-high 45 RBI and .633 slugging percentage and ranks in the top-ten among all Big South batters in in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.633), RBI (45), and walks (29).
Miller (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) has been GWU's top arm throughout the season, posting a 7-1 record with a 3.40 ERA in 13 starts. He led the Big South with 109 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a league-low .211 average. Miller was second in the league in wins (7) and innings pitched (84.2). He fanned 10 or more batters on six occasions throughout the season, including a season-high 13 in a 6-2 win at Campbell on March 5.
Jones (Charlotte Court House, Va. / Randolph-Henry HS) played in 43 games throughout the season, batting a team-high .356 with 11 doubles and six home runs with 29 RBI. Jones had 15 games with multiple base hits, including a 4-for-4 effort at Winthrop on May 18 and ranked sixth in the Big South in batting average (.354) and eighth in slugging percentage (.538).
Campbell (Advance, N.C. / Davie County HS) moved to the bullpen early in the season, where he became one of GWU's most reliable relievers. In 18 trips in relief, Campbell forged a 3.82 era with a 2-2 record and six saves, which ranked second in the Big South. He tossed 33.0 innings, recording 37 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a .211 average. Throughout the season, Campbell allowed only 47 base hits, the least among all pitchers in the league.
LaSpaluto (Apex, N.C. / Panther Creek HS) played 44 games at shortstop throughout the season with a .247 batting average with six doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He drove in 22 runs and had a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 13th inning in GWU's 5-2 win over Winthrop on April 13. LaSpaluto led the Big South with 125 assists and turned 14 double plays on the year. Academically, LaSpaluto has a cumulative 4.0 GPA with a major in mathematics and accounting.
Chester led Gardner-Webb to its best regular season finish in the program's Division I history, placing third in the Big South standings with a 27-13 (.675) league record. The Runnin' Bulldogs won seven conference series, including the last five, and had four weekend sweeps.
Gardner-Webb begins its quest for the Big South title Thursday evening, taking on USC Upstate in the opening round of the 2021 Ingles Big South Baseball Championship at approximately 7:00 pm at SEGRA Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C. Live coverage of the event can be found on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com / ESPN App).
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