May 17, 2023
Baseball Highlighted in 2023 NCCAA Mideast Region Awards
GREENVILLE, SC. --- After a 2023 season with 23 wins Asbury baseball saw ten student-athletes honored with National Christian College Athletics Assocation (NCCAA) Mideast Region awards. Included in the awards were Asbury junior
Ethan Cartwright named Player of the Year, freshman
Andrew Billington named Freshman of the Year, and freshman
Brody Bearden named Pitcher of the Year.
For the second consecutive season Asbury baseball produced the NCCAA Mideast Region Player of the Year.
Ethan Cartwright followed up his 2022 NCCAA All-American season by hitting .390 with team-highs at 53 hits and a 1.033 OPS. Cartwright's SLG% was .574 with seven doubles, three triples, and four home runs. Asbury's leading hitter finished the year with 35 RBIs and a .459 OBP including 17 walks and 38 runs scored.
Brody Bearden opened his Asbury career with five wins in his seven starts and a strong 3.86 ERA. The NCCAA Mideast Pitcher of the Year pitched 42.0 innings with only 18 earned runs and 32 strikeouts.
The NCCAA Mideast Freshman of the Year
Andrew Billington hit .359 with 42 hits and 27 RBIs in his freshman season for AU. Billington was second on the team behind
Noah Brown for runs scored with 39, using his .462 OBP. Billington was second on the team in doubles with nine and added two home runs for his .504 SLG%. He was also named to the NCCAA Mideast Gold Glove Team with his stellar play in center field all season.
Seven Eagles were named to the NCCAA Mideast Region First Team including
Ethan Cartwright,
Brody Bearden,
Andrew Billington,
Noah Brown,
Matthew Johnson,
Matthew Baker, and
Eli Wilder. Senior from Princeton, Ky.,
Noah Brown scored a team-high 47 runs and was third on the team in hits with 43. Brown hit for a .963 OPS and a .339 AVG including 20 RBIs and a team-high .522 OBP including 26 HBP.
Asbury shortstop
Matthew Johnson hit .351 on the year with 39 hits, 22 RBIs and a .405 SLG%. Senior
Matthew Baker had 27 hits, 25 RBIs, two home runs, and was named to the Gold Glove Team for his work behind the plate. Junior right-handed pitcher
Eli Wilder had a breakout year going 6-0 with 37 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.
In the NCCAA Mideast Second Team it was junior
Kaden Dugle and sophomore
Quinn Nobles representing Asbury. Dugle exploded for team-highs in RBIs (35), home runs (five), and doubles (13) with 44 total hits to finish second behind Cartwright. Nobles was second on the team in average at .364 with 36 hits, five doubles, 27 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and a .908 OPS.
NCCAA Mideast Region 2nd Team Members
Quinn Nobles,
Kaden Dugle
NCCAA Mideast Region Gold Glove Awards
Matthew Baker (Catcher),
Andrew Billington (Centerfield)
NCCAA Mideast Region 1st Team Members
Ethan Cartwright,
Andrew Billington,
Noah Brown,
Matthew Johnson,
Matthew Baker,
Brody Bearden,
Eli Wilder
NCCAA Mideast Region Players of the Year
Freshman of the Year |
Andrew Billington
Pitcher of the Year |
Brody Bearden
Player of the Year |
Ethan Cartwright
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