SKYHAWK SEASON IN REVIEW: BASEBALL
5/12/2020 12:18:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – Through the end of the 2019-20 academic year, we will be posting a season recap for each University of Tennessee at Martin athletic program. The final edition of the "Skyhawk Season in Review" series features the baseball squad.
History was made before the 2020 UT Martin campaign even began. Eight days prior to the season opener, Nick Wohlbold became the program's first-ever Preseason All-American when he earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association second team honors (one of the top nine relief pitchers listed). Four days later, the 6-2, 195-pound righty was spotlighted once again by the NCBWA on its Stopper of the Year preseason watch list.
The Skyhawks knocked off No. 30 South Alabama on Feb. 21 for their second victory over a ranked opponent in head coach Ryan Jenkins' three-year tenure. UT Martin additionally chalked up nonconference victories over Saint Louis, Alabama A&M and Siena.
Four days before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season, the Skyhawks posted a thrilling Ohio Valley Conference walkoff victory over Southeast Missouri. Freshman Wil LaFollette's two-out, two-run single – his fourth hit and fifth RBI of the game – sealed the 14-13 win after a four-run bottom of the ninth inning for UT Martin.
On April 28, D1Baseball praised Christian Hall as the "Best Freshman" in the OVC. The southpaw slugger from Calera, Ala. paced all OVC freshmen in batting average (.368) while his 12 walks (third), two sacrifice flies (fifth) and .465 on-base percentage (eighth) each ranked in the top-10 of all players in the conference.
In addition to Hall, the Skyhawks were led offensively by junior first baseman Ethan Whitley (team-high .385 batting average, sixth nationally with 0.58 doubles per contest) and senior centerfielder Sean Dixson (team-highs of four home runs, .576 slugging percentage and three stolen bases). Junior leftfielder Houston Wright was UT Martin's fourth regular to hit above .300, as he collected a team-high 14 RBI's in his debut season as a Skyhawk.
On the hill, senior righty David Hussey sported a team-best 3.18 ERA to go along with a team-high 6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (18:3) over seven appearances. Wohlbold had a hand in three UT Martin victories (one win, two saves) as he began his junior campaign with 5.2 shutout frames on the way to a team-best 15.43 strikeouts-per-nine-inning average. Senior Jefferey O'Doherty (one win, OVC-best nine appearances) and freshman Ryan Insco (one win, .227 opponent batting average over 17 innings) also emerged as trusted options out of the bullpen.
History was made before the 2020 UT Martin campaign even began. Eight days prior to the season opener, Nick Wohlbold became the program's first-ever Preseason All-American when he earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association second team honors (one of the top nine relief pitchers listed). Four days later, the 6-2, 195-pound righty was spotlighted once again by the NCBWA on its Stopper of the Year preseason watch list.
The Skyhawks knocked off No. 30 South Alabama on Feb. 21 for their second victory over a ranked opponent in head coach Ryan Jenkins' three-year tenure. UT Martin additionally chalked up nonconference victories over Saint Louis, Alabama A&M and Siena.
Four days before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season, the Skyhawks posted a thrilling Ohio Valley Conference walkoff victory over Southeast Missouri. Freshman Wil LaFollette's two-out, two-run single – his fourth hit and fifth RBI of the game – sealed the 14-13 win after a four-run bottom of the ninth inning for UT Martin.
On April 28, D1Baseball praised Christian Hall as the "Best Freshman" in the OVC. The southpaw slugger from Calera, Ala. paced all OVC freshmen in batting average (.368) while his 12 walks (third), two sacrifice flies (fifth) and .465 on-base percentage (eighth) each ranked in the top-10 of all players in the conference.
In addition to Hall, the Skyhawks were led offensively by junior first baseman Ethan Whitley (team-high .385 batting average, sixth nationally with 0.58 doubles per contest) and senior centerfielder Sean Dixson (team-highs of four home runs, .576 slugging percentage and three stolen bases). Junior leftfielder Houston Wright was UT Martin's fourth regular to hit above .300, as he collected a team-high 14 RBI's in his debut season as a Skyhawk.
On the hill, senior righty David Hussey sported a team-best 3.18 ERA to go along with a team-high 6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (18:3) over seven appearances. Wohlbold had a hand in three UT Martin victories (one win, two saves) as he began his junior campaign with 5.2 shutout frames on the way to a team-best 15.43 strikeouts-per-nine-inning average. Senior Jefferey O'Doherty (one win, OVC-best nine appearances) and freshman Ryan Insco (one win, .227 opponent batting average over 17 innings) also emerged as trusted options out of the bullpen.
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UTIL
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