SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced today the results of its preseason baseball balloting, with Wofford selected as the consensus favorite to claim the conference crown. Senior pitcher Matthew Marchal was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year to highlight five total Terriers selected to the preseason squad. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players in the polling.
 
As back-to-back regular-season SoCon champions, the Terriers are expected to three-peat by both the media and coaches polls. Wofford claimed five of the eight first-place votes in the coaches poll, topping second-place Mercer with 46 total points to the 41 of the Bears. The media poll gave Wofford nine of the 18 first-place votes, with Mercer again placing second. Wofford earned 130 total points, topping Mercer's 122. Wofford's five total honorees tie with Samford for the most of any team in the polls, but Wofford is the best-represented school on the first team with four Terriers.
 
"Being picked to win the league by both the coaches and the media is a compliment from our peers," said head coach Todd Interdonato. "This program has made incredible strides over the past 10 years which no one outside of our building thought was possible. We are incredibly proud of what we have become in the Southern Conference, which is one of the best mid-major leagues in the country. Our staff and players remain dedicated to each other and doing what is best for Wofford Baseball on a daily basis, which is never choosing easy. We are excited for the start of the year and know the 2023 schedule is as difficult as it has ever been. We are about to find out who this team truly is at its core, and we are ready to embark on the challenge this season will bring."
 
Senior righty Matthew Marchal was named as the SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year, headlining five total selections to the preseason squad, four of whom were named to the first team. The Greenville, S.C. native has claimed yet another preseason accolade heading into the 2023 campaign after Collegiate Baseball named Marchal a second-team preseason All-American on Dec. 12. Over 85.2 innings in 2022, Marchal posted a 7-2 record with a 2.52 ERA. The righty pitched in 18 games, 17 of which were starts, and amassed 93 strikeouts to pace the team and rank third in the SoCon. He issued the second-fewest walks in the league at a rate of 1.26 per nine innings. This led to a K/BB ratio of 7.75, tops in the league and 14^th-best in the entire nation. His performances culminated in a consensus First-Team All-SoCon honor.
 
"Matthew has earned this honor and recognition," said Interdonato. "The season he put together in '22 was one of the most complete ones we've had by a starting pitcher at Wofford. Last year's season has been put to rest, and what type of pitcher he will be this year is going to be determined starting in a week. His attention to detail, commitment to his craft and analytical way of thinking gives our staff and his teammates confidence in him. The best compliment for any pitcher is when everyone on the field and in the dugout is willing to lose with the guy on the mound. Matthew epitomizes what it means to have the full support of your teammates."
 
Another right-handed pitcher joins Marchal on the SoCon's first team, reliever Luke Stephens. The senior boasted a 2.50 ERA last season in 39.2 innings over 25 appearances. He held a 2-1 record and notched a save with 44 strikeouts to only eight free passes. Stephens was stingy, allowing opposing hitters to bat just .211 against him.
 
Ryan Galanie leads a pair of infielders also named to the first team. The senior slugger slashed .329/.437/.653 with 17 homers last season. Those round-trippers ranked second in the conference, and he sported four multi-homer games. The usual clean-up hitter, Galanie gathered 59 RBI, fifth-most in the SoCon. He totaled 72 hits with 10 doubles and five triples for 143 total bases. The right-handed hitter was a consensus All-SoCon First-Team selection. Stellar in the classroom as well, Galanie earned CoSIDA (now CSC) Third-Team Academic All-American honors.
 
Joining Galanie from the infield is another senior, Brice Martinez. He was a model of consistency, hitting .331, the fourth-best average on the squad last season and best clip among returners. Adding on a .416 on-base mark and .420 slugging percentage, Martinez tallied 52 base knocks with 41 RBI. In his 57 games played, 45 of which he started, Martinez worked 20 walks and scored 34 runs while also swiping 11 stolen bases.
 
The lone outfielder selected was Trey Yunger, another senior and the only Terrier on the second team. Yunger slashed .297/.403/.378 in 2022 with 44 hits and 19 RBI. He hit four doubles and worked 21 walks while scoring 31 runs. The right-handed batter was one of Wofford's biggest threats on the basepaths, too, second on the squad with 17 steals. A stout defender as well, Yunger made no errors to boast a 1.000 fielding percentage with 82 putouts.
 
"We have never shied away from enjoying our players getting personal recognition for what they have done, or in this case, predicated to do," said Interdonato of the five preseason selections. "The five who have earned preseason honors are deserving, and we are fortunate they are all part of our program. The best part of our players is they can accept recognition and still be aware their only validation comes from inside our locker room. This team has been preparing for next week since the bitter ending to a record-setting '22 season."
 
The Terriers enter the 2023 season after posting a school-record 42 wins last season with a 16-4-1 SoCon mark to repeat as regular-season champions. Wofford advanced to the championship in the SoCon Tournament, and it will look to carry this momentum into the upcoming season with a title again predicted. The 2023 campaign begins next Friday, Feb. 17 when the Terriers host Southern Illinois for a three-game set at Russell C. King Field. SoCon action begins on March 24 with a home series against VMI, and it all culminates at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. with the SoCon Tournament from May-23-28.
 
2023 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)       Points
1. Wofford (5)                         46
2. Mercer (2)                           41
3. UNCG (1)                            34
4. Samford                              33
5. ETSU                                  25
6. Western Carolina                 20
7. VMI                                     13
8. The Citadel                          12
 
2023 SoCon Baseball Preseason Media Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)        Points
1. Wofford (9)                         130
2. Mercer (6)                           122
3. Samford (1)                         103
4. UNCG (2)                            102
5. ETSU                                  68
6. Western Carolina                 60
7. The Citadel                          35
8. VMI                                     28
 
2023 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year
Pascanel Ferreras, Jr., SS, Western Carolina
 
2023 SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Matthew Marchal, Sr., RHP, Wofford
 
2023 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team
First team
SP – Michael Ross, Jr., Samford
SP – Matthew Marchal, Sr., Wofford
RP – Luke Stephens, Sr., Wofford
C – Noah Webb, Jr., ETS
1B – Ryan Galanie, Sr., Wofford
2B – Brice Martinez, Jr., Wofford
SS – Pacanel Ferreras, Jr., Western Carolina
3B – Mitchell Smith, Jr., UNCG
OF – Tommy Barth, So., ETSU
OF – Treyson Hughes, So., Mercer
OF – Kennedy Jones, So., UNCG
DH – Brett Cook, Jr., VMI
 
Second team
SP – Josh Harlow, Sr., Mercer
SP – Jacob Cravey, Jr., Samford
RP – Alex Goff, Sr., Samford
C – Dallas Callahan, Sr., UNCG
1B – Stephen Klein, Sr., Samford
2B – Garrett Staton, R-So., Samford
SS – Zac Morris, R-Jr., VMI
3B – Justin Starke, R-Jr., VMI
OF – Jozsef Rohrbacher, Sr., Mercer
OF – Nate Stocum, Jr., Western Carolina
OF – Trey Yunger, Sr., Wofford
DH – Garett Wallace, Sr., ETSU