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Gardner-Webb's Alcock Earns Top Honor, Leads Seven On All-Big South Baseball Teams
May 24, 2023 | Baseball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb right-hander Bobby Alcock was named Big South Conference Pitcher of the Year on Monday, one of seven Runnin' Bulldogs honored with postseason awards.
Alcock (Lynn, Mass.) was dominant in 2023, particularly in Big South play, going 7-2 with a league-best 2.20 ERA. He fanned a league-high 99 batters, held opponents to a league-best .170 batting average and was named to the College Foundation Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
In Big South games, Alcock won five times, lowered his ERA to 1.79 and held opponents to a .155 batting average. His 73 strikeouts against league foes led the circuit, as did his 10.89 strikeouts per game and innings pitched (60.1).
Gardner-Webb's staff ace pitched in three combined shutouts and was named Big South Pitcher of the Week three times. He allowed only seven extra base hits all season.
Alcock is the first Gardner-Webb pitcher to be named Big South Pitcher of the Year. He garnered six first-place votes and 25 total points from the league's head coaches, distancing himself from Campbell's Cade Kuehler (21 points) and USC Upstate's Reese Dutton (12 points).
Alcock and Kuehler will face off on Thursday afternoon at 1:00 pm, when Gardner-Webb takes on top-seeded Campbell in the first round of the Big South Baseball Championship in High Point (ESPN+).
Alcock was joined on the Big South All-Conference first team by right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.).
Robison ranked third in the Big South's regular season batting race, entering the postseason with a .364 average. He added 51 runs scored, 16 doubles and 108 total bases - while swiping 19-of-20 bases this season.
He had a 20-game hit streak earlier this season from March 5 through April 7 and reached base in 28-straight games midway through the season. Robison was even better in Big South games, batting .404 with a .508 on base percentage against league foes.
Catcher Humberto Torres (Miami, Fla.), utility man Mark Black (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and starting pitcher Tyler Switalski (Waynesburg, Pa.) each earned second-team All-Big South honors.
Torres batted .262 on the season with nine home runs and eight doubles, driving in 23 runs. He had a .358 on base percentage and handled a Gardner-Webb pitching staff that rated among the league's best all season.
Black played all over the field, starting games in left field and as a designated hitter, second baseman, catcher and third baseman. He batted .279 with 41 runs scored, 50 hits, seven home runs and 77 RBI – with a .391 on base percentage. Black hit a pair of home runs and drove in seven in Gardner-Webb's postseason-clinching win over Charleston Southern last Friday.
Switalski made a huge leap in his second season in the rotation, leading Gardner-Webb with eight wins. He fanned 76 batters in 77.1 innings of work, which each ranked second on the roster to Alcock.
Hard-throwing reliever Phil Fox (Ruff's Dale, Pa.) was selected to the Big South's All-Freshman Team, and was electric anchoring the GWU bullpen. Fox saw his fastball bump to 95 mph this season and went 3-3 with three saves and 36 strikeouts in just 28.0 innings of work. He limited opponents to a frigid .202 batting average in 22 appearances.
Nate Anderson (Dunwoody, Ga.) earned a spot on the Big South Conference All-Academic Team. The speedy outfielder carries a 3.62 cumulative GPA in Sport Management and enters the postseason after a breakout campaign.
Anderson is batting .298 with 39 runs scored, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 37 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 52 starts this season – all career-high totals. He had two outfield assists defensively while manning left field and forged a .385 on base percentage.
Gardner-Webb (31-23) has won four of its last five games entering the postseason at Truist Point.
Alcock (Lynn, Mass.) was dominant in 2023, particularly in Big South play, going 7-2 with a league-best 2.20 ERA. He fanned a league-high 99 batters, held opponents to a league-best .170 batting average and was named to the College Foundation Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
In Big South games, Alcock won five times, lowered his ERA to 1.79 and held opponents to a .155 batting average. His 73 strikeouts against league foes led the circuit, as did his 10.89 strikeouts per game and innings pitched (60.1).
Gardner-Webb's staff ace pitched in three combined shutouts and was named Big South Pitcher of the Week three times. He allowed only seven extra base hits all season.
Alcock is the first Gardner-Webb pitcher to be named Big South Pitcher of the Year. He garnered six first-place votes and 25 total points from the league's head coaches, distancing himself from Campbell's Cade Kuehler (21 points) and USC Upstate's Reese Dutton (12 points).
Alcock and Kuehler will face off on Thursday afternoon at 1:00 pm, when Gardner-Webb takes on top-seeded Campbell in the first round of the Big South Baseball Championship in High Point (ESPN+).
Alcock was joined on the Big South All-Conference first team by right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.).
Robison ranked third in the Big South's regular season batting race, entering the postseason with a .364 average. He added 51 runs scored, 16 doubles and 108 total bases - while swiping 19-of-20 bases this season.
He had a 20-game hit streak earlier this season from March 5 through April 7 and reached base in 28-straight games midway through the season. Robison was even better in Big South games, batting .404 with a .508 on base percentage against league foes.
Catcher Humberto Torres (Miami, Fla.), utility man Mark Black (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and starting pitcher Tyler Switalski (Waynesburg, Pa.) each earned second-team All-Big South honors.
Torres batted .262 on the season with nine home runs and eight doubles, driving in 23 runs. He had a .358 on base percentage and handled a Gardner-Webb pitching staff that rated among the league's best all season.
Black played all over the field, starting games in left field and as a designated hitter, second baseman, catcher and third baseman. He batted .279 with 41 runs scored, 50 hits, seven home runs and 77 RBI – with a .391 on base percentage. Black hit a pair of home runs and drove in seven in Gardner-Webb's postseason-clinching win over Charleston Southern last Friday.
Switalski made a huge leap in his second season in the rotation, leading Gardner-Webb with eight wins. He fanned 76 batters in 77.1 innings of work, which each ranked second on the roster to Alcock.
Hard-throwing reliever Phil Fox (Ruff's Dale, Pa.) was selected to the Big South's All-Freshman Team, and was electric anchoring the GWU bullpen. Fox saw his fastball bump to 95 mph this season and went 3-3 with three saves and 36 strikeouts in just 28.0 innings of work. He limited opponents to a frigid .202 batting average in 22 appearances.
Nate Anderson (Dunwoody, Ga.) earned a spot on the Big South Conference All-Academic Team. The speedy outfielder carries a 3.62 cumulative GPA in Sport Management and enters the postseason after a breakout campaign.
Anderson is batting .298 with 39 runs scored, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 37 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 52 starts this season – all career-high totals. He had two outfield assists defensively while manning left field and forged a .385 on base percentage.
Gardner-Webb (31-23) has won four of its last five games entering the postseason at Truist Point.
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