Big South Announces Baseball Players of the Week - May 19
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (
www.BigSouthSports.com) – Charleston Southern designated hitter
Kaden Smith (Yanceyville, N.C.) and USC Upstate infielder
Vance Sheahan (Lake Worth, Fla.) have been named the Big South Baseball Co-Players of the Week, while Upstate’s
Amp Phillips (Lancaster, S.C.) is the Starting Pitcher of the Week for games played May 12-18, it was announced today. In addition, Longwood’s
Ried Dittner (Apex, N.C.) was selected as the Relief Pitcher of the Week, while Lancer teammate and catcher
Mikey Urbaniak (Chesapeake, Va.) is the Freshman of the Week honoree.
Smith delivered a historic performance last week, going 5-for-5 and tying an NCAA record with five doubles in a single game during Sunday’s win at Gardner-Webb. Over four games, the redshirt junior batted .625 (10-for-16) with 10 RBI, eight runs scored, six doubles, a home run, and two walks. He recorded multiple hits in three of the four games and drove in at least one run in every contest. His week began with a 2-for-3 showing against The Citadel on Tuesday, featuring a double and an RBI. He followed that by collecting a hit and an RBI in the opener of CSU’s final regular-season series, then erupted in game two with a grand slam and an RBI single to total five RBI on the day. Smith capped the week with his record-tying five-double performance on Sunday, driving in three runs and becoming just the ninth player in NCAA Division I history — and the first since 2019 — to accomplish the feat. For the week, he posted a .700 on-base percentage and 1.188 slugging percentage.
Sheahan powered USC Upstate to a series sweep of UNC Asheville on Sunday, blasting three home runs and driving in seven runs to help the Spartans clinch the outright Big South regular-season title for the first time in program history. The sophomore hit .474 (9-for-19) over four games, finishing the week with 12 RBI, seven runs, three home runs, a double, two walks, and a stolen base. He tallied at least one hit in every game and recorded multiple hits twice, including a 3-for-4 effort in Thursday’s series opener at Asheville with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored. Earlier in the week, he drove in two runs at College of Charleston on Tuesday. Sheahan saved his biggest performance for Sunday’s finale, homering in three of his first four plate appearances and finishing just a three-run homer shy of a home run cycle. His career-high seven RBI included a sixth-inning grand slam that gave the Spartans a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, marking the program’s first three-homer game.
Phillips turned in a dominant outing on Thursday, allowing just one hit over 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win at UNC Asheville. The right-hander struck out five and walked just one. After issuing a leadoff walk in the first, Phillips settled in and retired the side in order in the second, third, and fourth innings. His no-hit bid was broken up by a leadoff single in the fifth, but he quickly erased the baserunner with a double play to end the inning unscathed. He also recorded two strikeouts apiece in the second and third innings.
Dittner was key out of the bullpen in Longwood’s series sweep at Radford, making two appearances and tossing 4.0 scoreless innings to earn a save and help close out back-to-back victories. The right-hander entered Thursday’s opener with a one-run lead and delivered two shutout frames, striking out three to secure the 5-4 win and pick up the save. He followed that with another two scoreless innings in Saturday’s victory, striking out one. He held Radford to a .154 batting average across his two outings.
Urbaniak batted .500 (7-for-14) over four games last week, collecting three doubles, a home run, and six RBI to help lead Longwood to a series sweep at Radford. The freshman also posted a .500 on-base percentage and drove in three runs in each of the last two games. His standout performance came in Sunday’s finale, where he finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three of Longwood’s four runs in a 4-2 win that secured the sweep. He also went 3-for-4 in game two against the Highlanders with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored.
Also nominated for Player of the Week:
James Nelson (Longwood) and
Koby Kropf (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Starting Pitcher of the Week:
Parks Ledwell (Charleston Southern),
Tait Robertson (Charleston Southern),
Guillermo Garcia, Jr. (Longwood),
Alek Elges (Longwood) and
Brayden Gilley (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Relief Pitcher of the Week:
Ryan DuSang (Charleston Southern),
Braden Consaul (USC Upstate),
Cooper Ellingworth (USC Upstate) and
Quinton Hall (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week:
Henry Zenor (USC Upstate) and
Josh Skowronski (Winthrop).