HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss sophomore outfielder Matt Wallner (Forest Lake, Minn.) and junior right-handed relief pitcher Nick Sandlin (Evans, Ga.) were each named to the Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American second team in a release by the publication Monday.
Wallner registered a .336 batting average during his initial season with the Golden Eagles in 2017, while putting together Southern Miss freshman records for home runs (19) and runs batted in (63). His home run total was the most by any freshman in country while his RBI total ranked second. The 6-foot-5 outfielder/pitcher also added 14 doubles, two triples and four stolen bases.
His offensive numbers included a .463 on base percentage along with a .655 slugging percentage for a Golden Eagle squad that won a school-record 50 games in 2017 that included a C-USA regular season championship and the school hosting just their second-ever NCAA regional.
Wallner garnered the Freshman Hitter of the Year accolade by the National Collegiate Baseball Association (NCBWA) and Freshman of the Year award by Baseball America. In addition, he made the Freshman All-America teams by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings and earned the Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year nod.
He also has earned spots on five All-America teams last summer, which also includes first-team honors by D1Baseball.com and the NCBWA and second-team nods by Baseball America and Perfect Game/Rawlings and third team accolades by American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.
Sandlin posted a 10-2 record with eight saves and a 2.38 earned run average for the Golden Eagles last season. Sandlin fanned 80 and walked just 29 in 56 2/3 innings of work as he appeared in 29 games. He and former teammate Kirk McCartyshared the top spot in C-USA for wins.
Sandlin was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team for his 4.0 GPA while majoring in construction engineering technology. He also garnered a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American nod. His 20 career saves places him sixth and 10 behind the all-time record holder at the school.
Sandlin’s collected three All-America accolades last summer, being named first team by Perfect Game/Rawling’s and second team by both Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA.
The Golden Eagles open the season Feb. 16, when they play in the Mississippi Farm Bureau Classic, hosting Mississippi State in a three-game set at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
Tickets for the 2018 home season can be purchased by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office during normal business hours.
The Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans for 2018 include:
FIRST TEAMLHP Luke Heimlich (Oregon St.)
LHP Steven Gingery (Texas Tech.)
RHP Brady Singer (Florida)
RHP Sean Hjelle (Kentucky)
LHP/DH Tyler Holton (Florida St.)
Relief Michael Byrne (Florida)
Relief Kenyon Yovan (Oregon)
C J.T. Thomas (Mercer)
1B Luken Baker (Texas Christian)
2B Nick Madrigal (Oregon St.)
3B Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest)
SS Jeremy Eierman (Missouri St.)
OF Seth Beer (Clemson)
OF Niko Hulsizer (Morehead St.)
OF Griffin Conine (Duke)
DH Logan McRae (Coll. of Charleston)
UT Kevin Milam (St. Mary’s, CA)
SECOND TEAMRHP Joey Murray (Kent St.)
LHP Trey Cumbie (Houston)
RHP Jackson Kowar (Florida)
RHP Logan Gilbert (Stetson)
LHP Konnor Pilkington ( Mississippi St.)
RHP Colton Eastman (Cal. St. Fullerton)
RHP Zack Hess (Louisiana St.)
RHP Casey Mize (Auburn)
LHP Nick Sprengel (San Diego)
RHP Jared Janczak (Texas Christian)
LHP Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette)
RHP Sean Mooney (St. John’s)
RHP Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt)
Relief Michael Clark (Cal. Poly)
Relief Nick Sandlin (Southern Miss)
Relief Brett Conine (Cal. St. Fullerton)
Relief Jake Fromson (Missouri St.)
Relief Luis Alvarado (Nebraska)
C Mason Fishback ( New Mexico St.)
C Cal Raleigh (Florida St.)
C Chris Williams (Clemson)
1B Kevin Woodall (Coastal Carolina)
1B Nic Ready (Air Force)
2B Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M)
3B Jonathan India (Florida)
SS Tyler Frank (Florida Atlantic)
OF Matt Wallner (Southern Miss)
OF Greyson Jenista (Wichita St.)
OF Jake McCarthy (Virginia)
UT John McMillon (Texas Tech.)
THIRD TEAMLHP Kris Bubic (Stanford)
RHP Alex Royalty (N.C. Wilmington)
RHP Jon Olsen (UCLA)
RHP Kyle Bradish (New Mexico St.)
RHP Blaine Knight (Arkansas)
RHP Nolan Kingham (Texas)
LHP Miguel Ausua (Oral Roberts)
Relief Dallas Woolfolk (Mississippi)
Relief Ross Learnard (Purdue)
Relief Jake Roehn (Ohio)
Relief Jake Mulholland (Oregon St.)
Relief Spencer Price (Mississippi St.)
Relief J.T. Newton (Houston Baptist)
Relief Bryce Tucker (Central Florida)
C Joey Bart (Georgia Tech.)
C J.J. Schwarz (Florida)
1B Andrew Vaughn (California)
1B Tristen Gagan (S.E. Missouri St.)
1B Julian Infante (Vanderbilt)
2B Wade Bailey (Georgia Tech.)
2B Lee Solomon (Lipscomb)
2B Braxton Morris (Morehead St.)
3B Taylor Schwaner (Southeastern La.)
3B Sam Fragale (Virginia Tech.)
3B Luke Miller (Indiana)
3B Alec Bohm (Wichita St.)
SS Will Wilson (N.C. State)
SS Nico Hoerner (Stanford)
SS Reid Leonard (Morehead St.)
OF Tristan Pompey (Kentucky)
OF Zach Watson (Louisiana St.)
OF Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama)
OF Steele Walker (Oklahoma)
UT Tom Stoffel (Virginia Tech)
Wallner registered a .336 batting average during his initial season with the Golden Eagles in 2017, while putting together Southern Miss freshman records for home runs (19) and runs batted in (63). His home run total was the most by any freshman in country while his RBI total ranked second. The 6-foot-5 outfielder/pitcher also added 14 doubles, two triples and four stolen bases.
His offensive numbers included a .463 on base percentage along with a .655 slugging percentage for a Golden Eagle squad that won a school-record 50 games in 2017 that included a C-USA regular season championship and the school hosting just their second-ever NCAA regional.
Wallner garnered the Freshman Hitter of the Year accolade by the National Collegiate Baseball Association (NCBWA) and Freshman of the Year award by Baseball America. In addition, he made the Freshman All-America teams by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings and earned the Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year nod.
He also has earned spots on five All-America teams last summer, which also includes first-team honors by D1Baseball.com and the NCBWA and second-team nods by Baseball America and Perfect Game/Rawlings and third team accolades by American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.
Sandlin posted a 10-2 record with eight saves and a 2.38 earned run average for the Golden Eagles last season. Sandlin fanned 80 and walked just 29 in 56 2/3 innings of work as he appeared in 29 games. He and former teammate Kirk McCartyshared the top spot in C-USA for wins.
Sandlin was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team for his 4.0 GPA while majoring in construction engineering technology. He also garnered a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American nod. His 20 career saves places him sixth and 10 behind the all-time record holder at the school.
Sandlin’s collected three All-America accolades last summer, being named first team by Perfect Game/Rawling’s and second team by both Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA.
The Golden Eagles open the season Feb. 16, when they play in the Mississippi Farm Bureau Classic, hosting Mississippi State in a three-game set at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
Tickets for the 2018 home season can be purchased by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office during normal business hours.
The Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans for 2018 include:
FIRST TEAMLHP Luke Heimlich (Oregon St.)
LHP Steven Gingery (Texas Tech.)
RHP Brady Singer (Florida)
RHP Sean Hjelle (Kentucky)
LHP/DH Tyler Holton (Florida St.)
Relief Michael Byrne (Florida)
Relief Kenyon Yovan (Oregon)
C J.T. Thomas (Mercer)
1B Luken Baker (Texas Christian)
2B Nick Madrigal (Oregon St.)
3B Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest)
SS Jeremy Eierman (Missouri St.)
OF Seth Beer (Clemson)
OF Niko Hulsizer (Morehead St.)
OF Griffin Conine (Duke)
DH Logan McRae (Coll. of Charleston)
UT Kevin Milam (St. Mary’s, CA)
SECOND TEAMRHP Joey Murray (Kent St.)
LHP Trey Cumbie (Houston)
RHP Jackson Kowar (Florida)
RHP Logan Gilbert (Stetson)
LHP Konnor Pilkington ( Mississippi St.)
RHP Colton Eastman (Cal. St. Fullerton)
RHP Zack Hess (Louisiana St.)
RHP Casey Mize (Auburn)
LHP Nick Sprengel (San Diego)
RHP Jared Janczak (Texas Christian)
LHP Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette)
RHP Sean Mooney (St. John’s)
RHP Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt)
Relief Michael Clark (Cal. Poly)
Relief Nick Sandlin (Southern Miss)
Relief Brett Conine (Cal. St. Fullerton)
Relief Jake Fromson (Missouri St.)
Relief Luis Alvarado (Nebraska)
C Mason Fishback ( New Mexico St.)
C Cal Raleigh (Florida St.)
C Chris Williams (Clemson)
1B Kevin Woodall (Coastal Carolina)
1B Nic Ready (Air Force)
2B Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M)
3B Jonathan India (Florida)
SS Tyler Frank (Florida Atlantic)
OF Matt Wallner (Southern Miss)
OF Greyson Jenista (Wichita St.)
OF Jake McCarthy (Virginia)
UT John McMillon (Texas Tech.)
THIRD TEAMLHP Kris Bubic (Stanford)
RHP Alex Royalty (N.C. Wilmington)
RHP Jon Olsen (UCLA)
RHP Kyle Bradish (New Mexico St.)
RHP Blaine Knight (Arkansas)
RHP Nolan Kingham (Texas)
LHP Miguel Ausua (Oral Roberts)
Relief Dallas Woolfolk (Mississippi)
Relief Ross Learnard (Purdue)
Relief Jake Roehn (Ohio)
Relief Jake Mulholland (Oregon St.)
Relief Spencer Price (Mississippi St.)
Relief J.T. Newton (Houston Baptist)
Relief Bryce Tucker (Central Florida)
C Joey Bart (Georgia Tech.)
C J.J. Schwarz (Florida)
1B Andrew Vaughn (California)
1B Tristen Gagan (S.E. Missouri St.)
1B Julian Infante (Vanderbilt)
2B Wade Bailey (Georgia Tech.)
2B Lee Solomon (Lipscomb)
2B Braxton Morris (Morehead St.)
3B Taylor Schwaner (Southeastern La.)
3B Sam Fragale (Virginia Tech.)
3B Luke Miller (Indiana)
3B Alec Bohm (Wichita St.)
SS Will Wilson (N.C. State)
SS Nico Hoerner (Stanford)
SS Reid Leonard (Morehead St.)
OF Tristan Pompey (Kentucky)
OF Zach Watson (Louisiana St.)
OF Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama)
OF Steele Walker (Oklahoma)
UT Tom Stoffel (Virginia Tech)
