2020 Baseball All-Academic Team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Announced
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) -- High Point graduate pitcher Harrison Smith (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) has been voted the Big South Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2020 as part of the league’s announcement of this season’s Baseball All-Academic Team. The award was voted on by the Big South’s sports information directors.
Smith is a 4.00 student working on his MBA after earning his undergraduate degree in business administration with a 3.94 GPA. A three-time Millis Scholar-Athlete while at HPU, he is the first Panther to be voted the Big South’s Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. During the abbreviated 2020 season, Smith started four games on the mound as High Point’s Friday starter and was 3-1 with 23 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched. He held opposing hitters to a .154 batting average (fourth in the Big South), while his 0.95 WHIP was third in the league. Smith was the team leader in wins and strikeouts, and had the lowest ERA of the squad’s starting pitchers at 3.09. He won the Panthers’ season-opener on Feb. 14 against Lafayette with seven strikeouts and two earned runs allowed in 5.1 innings. On Feb. 28 vs. No. 13 Ole Miss, he allowed just two hits and three runs with six strikeouts in five innings. A Second-Team All-Big South selection and All-Academic Team honoree in 2019, Smith’s 9.64 career K/9 innings is eighth-best in program history.
The Big South Baseball All-Academic Team consists of one student-athlete from each institution that meets the criteria of having completed at least one academic year at the institution, maintains at least a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average and is of sophomore standing (academically and athletically). The team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year award are selected by the Big South Conference Sports Information Directors. This year’s team combined for a 3.79 GPA, and is as follows:
2020 Big South Baseball All-Academic Team
Harrison Smith, Gr., RHP, High Point (Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
Grant Harris, Sr., OF, Campbell
Jaret Bennett, Sr., LHP, Charleston Southern
Ben LaSpaluto, Jr., SS, Gardner-Webb
Cullan Wadsworth, Soph., OF, Longwood
Garrett Jones, Sr., INF, Presbyterian
Straton Podaras, Sr., C, Radford
Ethan Tressler, Jr., RHP, UNC Asheville
Jordan Marks, Jr., RHP, USC Upstate
Jason Crumley, Sr., P, Winthrop
Harris (3.935 – Sport Management) made 50 starts between centerfield and rightfield in his two seasons with the Camels. He owns four career home runs and 11 doubles.
Bennett (3.90 – Business/Marketing) finished the abbreviated 2020 season with a 2-0 record -- including a complete game, 2-1 victory over Kansas. His 0.71 ERA was tops in the Big South.
LaSpaluto (4.0 – Economics & Finance / Mathematics double major) started all 16 games this year for the Runnin’ Bulldogs and had three doubles, one triple and nine RBI.
Wadsworth (3.39 – Kinesiology) batted .366 along with a .447 on-base percentage and .659 slugging clip in 2020. His 15 runs scored were third in the Big South, while seven of his 15 hits went for extra-bases.
Jones (4.0 – Business with Accounting concentration) started 12 of 14 games this season in the infield (seven at third base and five at second base) and had three doubles and a pair of stolen bases.
Podaras (3.52 – Accounting) started all 17 games behind the plate and hit a career-best .283 with six doubles, one triple and 11 RBI. He was also named to the Buster Posey National Catcher of the Year Award Watch List.
Tressler (3.494 – Economics) made nine appearances out of the bullpen in 2020 and did not allow a run in his 4.1 innings pitched. He surrendered just one hit while striking out six for the Bulldogs.
Marks (3.92 – Business Administration) went 3-1 with 29 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched as the Spartans’ Friday ace. The three-time President’s List and five-time Dean’s List honoree walked just three batters in 2020.
Crumley (3.616 – Exercise Science) was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts in seven relief appearances in 2020. He is a three-time Big South Presidential Honor Roll member.