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At the end of each regular season, the Atlantic Sun Conference names major award winners in baseball. Currently, it names a Coach, Pitcher, Player, and Freshman of the Year. The Coach of the Year award, which dates to 1979, is the oldest. The others– Player (1982), Freshman (2001), and Pitcher (2004)– were added later. Through the 2001 season, the awards were known as the major awards of the Trans America Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Sun's former name.
Contents
- Coach of the Year
- Winners by season
- Winners by school
- Pitcher of the Year
- Player of the Year
- Freshman of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- References
Through the end of the 2014 season, Stetson has won 24 major awards, the most of any school in the conference. Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast are tied for the second-highest total with 10.
On six occasions, a team has won swept the major awards given out in a season: Mercer in 1983, Georgia Southern in 1986 and 1987, Stetson in 1989, Florida International in 1995, and Florida Atlantic in 1999. All six instances came before 2001, when only the Coach and Player of the Year awards existed.
Two individuals, both from Mercer, have won more than one of the awards. Craig Gibson was named Player of the Year in 1985 and Coach of the Year in 2013; Chesny Young was named Freshman of the Year in 2012 and Player of the Year in 2013.
Coach of the Year
The conference's Coach of the Year award is presented annually to the conference's most outstanding baseball coach, as chosen by a vote of the A-Sun's coaches taken at the end of the regular season. From 1979–1981 and 1987–1992, the award was given automatically to the coach of the TAAC's tournament champion, rather than chosen by the league's coaches.
The award was first presented in 1979. From 1979–2001, it was known as the Trans America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award, until the conference switched to its current name for the 2002 season.
In 2014, Florida Gulf Coast's Dave Tollett received the award for the fourth time. The Eagles went 39-22 (19-8 A-Sun) to win the league's regular season title for the fourth time. The award was Tollett's first since he won three straight from 2008–2010.
With the exception of 2012, the award has been given to the coach of the league's regular season champion in each season since 2004. In 2012, USC Upstate's Matt Fincher was given the award after his team, picked to finish last, finished second in the A-Sun.
Stetson's Pete Dunn, who has coached in the conference since 1986, has won the award six times, the most of any coach. He is one of three coaches to win the award in thee straight years (1988–1990), along with Georgia Southern's Jack Stallings (1985–1987) and Florida Gulf Coast's Dave Tollett (2008–2010).
Mercer is the only school to have multiple coaches win the award. Barry Myers won it in 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1984, and Craig Gibson won it in 2013.
Winners by season
Below is a table of the award's winners since it was first given out in 1979.
Winners by school
The following is a table of the schools whose coaches have won the award, along with the season each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
Pitcher of the Year
The conference's Pitcher of the Year award is given annually to the best pitcher in the A-Sun, as chosen by a vote of the conference's coaches at the end of the regular season. The award was first presented in 2004, prior to which pitchers were eligible for the Player of the Year Award.
In 2014, Florida Gulf Coast's Michael Murray won the award. In the regular season, the sophomore went 12-1 with a 1.70 ERA and 78 strikeouts.
Four of the award's winners– UCF's Matt Fox, Stetson's Corey Kluber, Kennesaw State's Chad Jenkins, and Florida Gulf Coast's Chris Sale– have gone on to pitch in Major League Baseball.
Winners by season
Below is a table of the award's winners since it was first awarded in 2004.
Winners by school
The following is a table of the schools whose pitchers have won the award, along with the year each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
Player of the Year
The conference's Player of the Year award is given annually to the best position player in the A-Sun, as chosen by a vote of the conference's head coaches at the end of each regular season. It was first awarded in 1982. Until 2004, when the Pitcher of the Year award was instituted, both pitchers and position players were eligible. Before the conference was renamed, the award was known as the Trans America Athletic Conference Player of the Year award from 1982 to 2001.
In 2014, Kennesaw State catcher Max Pentecost won the award, becoming the first Owl to do so. In the regular season, the junior hit .422 with 54 RBI. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 1st round (11th overall) of the 2014 MLB Draft.
Two players, both from Stetson, have won the award twice: shortstop Wes Weger in 1991 and 1992 and catcher Chris Westervelt in 2002 and 2004.
Four of the award's winners– Stetson's George Tsamis and Kevin Nicholson, Georgia Southern's Todd Greene, and Jacksonville's Daniel Murphy– have gone on to appear in Major League Baseball.
Winners by season
Below is a table of the award's winners since it was first awarded in 2001.
Winners by school
The following is a table of the schools whose players have won the award, along with the season each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
Freshman of the Year
The conference's Freshman of the Year award is given annually to the best freshman in the A-Sun, as chosen by a vote of the conference's head coaches at the end of each regular season. It was first awarded in 2001. Since the A-Sun did not change its name from the TAAC until after that season, the award was known as the Trans America Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year for one season.
In 2014, Florida Gulf Coast's Jake Noll won the award, becoming the first Eagle to do so. He was also named National Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. In the regular season, Noll hit .374 with 28 RBI and 25 steals. He spent the summer of 2014 playing with the Lakeshore Chinooks of the Northwoods League.
Two of the award's recipients– Stetson's Chris Johnson and Lipscomb's Rex Brothers– went on to play in Major League Baseball.
Winners by season
Below is a table of the award's winners since it was first awarded in 2001.
Winners by school
The following is a table of the schools whose freshmen have won the award, along with the season each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
Defensive Player of the Year
The conference began issuing the Defensive Player of the Year Award following the 2014 season. Mercer senior shortstop Michael Massi won the inaugural award following a 2014 season in which he set Mercer's single-season record for assists at 198.
Winners by season
Below is a table of the award's winners since it was first awarded in 2014.
Winners by school
The following is a table of the schools whose players have won the award, along with the season each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.