High Point's Konni Durschlag Voted 2024-25 Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – High Point baseball player
Konni Durschlag (Charlotte, N.C.) has been voted the Big South Conference Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 season by the league’s Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Sports Information Directors, it was announced today by the conference office. The candidates for the annual award consist of the Players of the Year from each sport, and must be deemed eligible for the honor by their respective school. Durschlag is the first High Point student-athlete to be voted the Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year since the award began in 1999-00, and is the first baseball player to earn the honor since 2015-16.
Durschlag finished his senior season as the Big South’s leading hitter with a .434 batting average, which ranked third in the nation in 2025 and is the seventh-highest single-season clip in conference history. He was second nationally in on-base percentage (.546) and tied for seventh with 96 hits, while leading the Big South in hits, runs scored (79) and on-base average. Durschlag received All-America honors from the NCBWA (2nd Team) and ABCA (3rd Team), and was named to the d1baseball.com Midseason All-American Watch list, while also being named to the NCAA National Lineup of the Week during the 2025 season. He roped 15 home runs in the leadoff spot, along with 23 doubles and 59 RBI, while starting in center field in all 56 games. A two-time Big South Player of the Week selection this past year, Durschlag was one of two Big South players with at least 20 doubles (23) and 15 home runs (15) this season, and was among the league leaders in slugging percentage (.751, 2nd), walks (39, 7th), total bases (166, 2nd), RBI (59, 10th), doubles (23, 2nd) and home runs (15, T-6th). Durschlag finished the regular-season with 30 multi-hit games -- including 14 three-hit efforts, in addition to 16 multi-RBI contests and a 12-game hitting streak. He completed the 24-game Big South season with a .439 batting average with six home runs, 32 RBI, 44 runs scored, 11 doubles, a .710 slugging clip and .574 on-base average. Durschlag signed with the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted free agent on July 16.
He earned 62 points and five first-place votes in this year’s balloting, ahead of Charleston Southern basketball player
Taje’ Kelly (58 points, five first-place votes) and Longwood golfer
Justin LaRue (58 points, two first-place votes).
In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director
Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league’s Hall of Fame. The Athlete of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999-00, with the exception of 2019-20 due to the season being incomplete and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year honorees are listed below.
HOWARD BAGWELL MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2024-25 - Konni Durschlag, High Point (baseball)
2023-24 - Drew Pember, UNC Asheville (basketball)
2022-23 - Drew Pember, UNC Asheville (basketball)
2021-22 - Athanas Kioko, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2020-21 - Athanas Kioko Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2018-19 - Chris Clemons, Campbell (basketball)
2017-18 - Amon Kemboi, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2016-17 - Amon Terer, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2015-16 - Andrew Beckwith, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2014-15 - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina (football)
2013-14 - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina (football)
2012-13 - Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook (football)
2011-12 - Ashton Bennett, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2010-11 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2009-10 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2008-09 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2007-08 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2006-07 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2005-06 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2004-05 - Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2003-04 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2002-03 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2001-02 - Justin Owens, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2000-01 - Jason Colson, Winthrop (baseball)
1999-00 - Keith Butler, Liberty (baseball)