SALISBURY, N.C. (May 16) – Redshirt senior starting pitcher Erik Johnson and senior outfielder Vito Patierno were both voted to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Southeast Region Second-Team on Wednesday afternoon.
On the mound, Johnson holds a 7-3 record with a 3.14 ERA behind 86 strikeouts and 17 walks in 77.1 innings pitched. The Trojan ace recently received All-Conference Carolinas First-Team honors for a consecutive year. Johnson ranks fifth in NCAA Division II and paces the league with five complete-game performances. He sits among the top five in the Conference Carolinas with 10.01 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.05 WHIP in 13 starts. Additionally, Johnson is holding his opponents to a .222 batting average while boasting the sixth-best ERA in the conference.
Patierno produced an impressive season for the Trojans with a team-leading .372 batting average while serving primarily in the second spot in the order. He ranks fourth in the Conference Carolinas with 73 hits and 59 runs scored while sitting ninth in batting average. Additionally, Patierno has tallied six homers, 13 doubles, 30 RBIs, and a .551 slugging percentage. He paces Mount Olive with 23 multi-hit games, including six contests with three hits or more. Patierno became a four-time All-Conference Carolinas selection after earning first-team status this year.
