GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 2) – The University of Mount Olive baseball program featured three selections on the All-Conference Carolinas Teams announced by the league office on Tuesday, highlighted by senior Vito Patierno and redshirt senior Erik Johnson earning first-team status.
Graduate student Dylan Jeffries was voted second-team all-conference by the league coaches. Additionally, senior Alden Cottle, redshirt senior David Cucci, Jeffries, and Johnson were all selected to the Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team.
For the fourth time in his career, Patierno was named to the All-Conference Carolinas Teams, including a pair of selections to the first-team. Patierno delivered another stellar performance for the Trojans this season while ranking third in the conference with a .401 batting average and 71 hits. Additionally, he scored the second-most runs in the Conference Carolinas with 58 while sitting fourth in the league with a .582 slugging percentage. Patierno paced UMO with 23 multi-hits performances while reaching base in 20 straight games during the regular season.
On the mound, Johnson was tabbed first-team all-conference for a consecutive year after serving as the Trojan ace this season. Johnson currently holds a 6-3 record in 12 starts while pitching a team-high 68.1 innings. He leads the Conference Carolinas with four complete games while ranking fifth in strikeouts (74) and WHIP (1.10). Additionally, Johnson sits seventh in the league with a 3.29 ERA while holding his opponents to a .230 batting average.
Jeffries made the All-Conference Carolinas Second-Team for a consecutive year after another outstanding season. He posted a .323 batting average with 54 hits, nine doubles, four home runs, and 44 RBIs in 48 games played. Jeffries ranked 10th in the conference in runs scored while ranking second on the team with 16 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI performances.
Defensively, the Trojans featured a league-best four players on the all-defensive team after ranking first in the Conference Carolinas with a .973 fielding percentage.
Cottle, the third baseman, tallied 31 putouts and finished second on the team with 71 assists with just three errors this season. Coming off a season-ending injury, Cucci delivered a stellar performance in the outfield while playing a majority of games in left field. He totaled 65 putouts and two assists with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. For a consecutive year, Jeffries was named to the all-defensive team after recording 108 putouts and one assist while boasting a 1.000 fielding percentage. On the mound, Johnson captured the defensive honor with eight assists and zero errors in 12 appearances.
