League Champion Tampa Places Eight on All-SSC Team
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference presents its 2022 baseball postseason awards, as the University of Tampa collects a total of 10 accolades, including Freshman of the Year, after winning the 2022 conference championship.
Representing the Spartans as first-team All-SSC selections are J.D. Urso, Drew Ehrhard, E.J. Cumbo, Haden Erbe, Michael Paul, and Braydon Nelson. Dan Sullivan and Jordan Lala were recipients of second-team honors, with Lala also earning a spot on the all-defensive team for his play under outfield coach Nick DeTringo.
A total of 38 student-athletes are recognized on the league's all-conference baseball teams. Voting for the All-SSC baseball awards is conducted among the league's head baseball coaches.
SSC Baseball All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams|Players & Coaches of the Year
Bobby Sparling from Saint Leo University collects SSC Player of the Year honors. The junior outfielder ranks first in league home runs (21), runs batted in (62), hits (72), slugging percentage (.758), and on-base plus slugging (1.214). The Palm Coast, Florida product is fourth in conference batting average (.371) and seventh in runs scored (46). Sparling is the third Lion to win Player of the Year honors and the first since 19981.
Jaylyn Whitehead earns Pitcher of the Year following an 8-2 season on the hill for Rollins. The graduate student from Ocoee, Florida, recorded a 1.37 earned run average and .188 batting average against over his 14 appearances. In 92.0 innings pitched, he struck out 87 batters and registered a WHIP of 0.89. Whitehead was Top-3 in SSC innings pitched, opponent batting average, strikeouts, earned run average, and wins. He is the third Tar to be named SSC Pitcher of the Year and the first since 20102.
Tampa's J.D. Urso is awarded Freshman of the Year accolades. The Spartan finished the regular season second in league batting average (.397) and third in on-base plus slugging (1.046). The Tampa, Florida native appeared in 38 games this season, where he tallied 50 hits, 37 RBI, and 31 runs scored. Urso is the seventh UT player to be named SSC Freshman of the Year and the first since 20063.
Rick O'Dette of Saint Leo has been named Coach of the Year by his peers. In his fifth year with the program, O'Dette led the Lions to a .700 overall win percentage (35-15) and tied for second in the SSC standings (20-10). Saint Leo is listed second in the NCAA Division II South Region Ranking and has received numerous national rankings throughout the season. Offensively, the Lions lead the league in extra-base hits, total bases, slugging percentage, and stolen bases. They rank second in batting average and hits. O'Dette is the second Saint Leo manager named Coach of the Year and breaks a 24-year drought for the program4.
Whitehead highlights the repeat All-SSC winners along with Adan Fernandez of Nova Southeastern University and Tampa's duo of EJ Cumbo and Michael Paul. All four athletes repeat as First Team All-SSC from 2021. UT's Drew Ehrhard makes the First Team after being named Second Team in 2018. Barry University's Ihosvany Casteneda repeats as a Second Team honoree from 2021, while Rollins' Chase Achuff and NSU's Duncan Pastore also take in Second Team accolades for the second time in their careers. The SSC's All-Defensive Team moves into its second year, with Whitehead and Florida Tech's Sam Schner repeating as honorees.
Player of the Year: Bobby Sparling, Saint Leo
Pitcher of the Year: Jaylyn Whitehead, Rollins
Freshman of the Year: J.D. Urso, Tampa
Coach of the Year: Rick O'Dette, Saint Leo
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2022 All-SSC Baseball First Team |
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1B |
Jeff Liquori |
Florida Southern |
So. |
Lake Mary, Florida |
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2B |
Buck Anderson |
Saint Leo |
Jr. |
Torrance, California |
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3B |
Daniel Irisarri |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Miami, Florida |
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SS |
Tampa |
Fr. |
Tampa, Florida |
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|
C |
Jeremy Kennedy-Davis |
Embry-Riddle |
So. |
Pompano Beach, Florida |
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UT |
Tampa |
Gr. |
Tampa, Florida |
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|
DH |
Adrien Roa |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Davie, Florida |
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OF |
Bobby Sparling |
Saint Leo |
Jr. |
Palm Coast, Florida |
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OF |
Duncan Hunter |
Florida Southern |
Gr. |
Riverview, Florida |
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OF |
Tampa |
So. |
East Meadow, New York |
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|
OF |
Adan Fernandez* |
Nova Southeastern |
Sr. |
Miramar, Florida |
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SP |
Jaylyn Whitehead*# |
Rollins |
Gr. |
Ocoee, Florida |
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SP |
Tampa |
Sr. |
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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|
SP |
Nate Madej |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Lemont, Illinois |
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SP |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Clearwater, Florida |
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|
RP |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Brecksville, Ohio |
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2022 All-SSC Baseball Second Team |
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1B |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Palatine, Illinois |
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2B |
Matt Archer |
Lynn |
Jr. |
Fort Salonga, New York |
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3B |
Anthony Sanabria |
Lynn |
Sr. |
Hialeah, Florida |
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SS |
Chase Achuff† |
Rollins |
Gr. |
St. Petersburg, Florida |
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C |
Dylan Owens |
Florida Tech |
Sr. |
Viera, Florida |
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C |
Eddie Niemann |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Scottsdale, Arizona |
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UT |
Joe Stella |
Barry |
Fr. |
Pittston, Pennsylvania |
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DH |
Duncan Pastore†‡ |
Nova Southeastern |
So. |
Tampa, Florida |
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OF |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Tampa, Florida |
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OF |
Nate Chevalier |
Florida Southern |
Gr. |
Valrico, Florida |
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OF |
Parker Smith |
Rollins |
So. |
Orlando, Florida |
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OF |
Ihosvany Castaneda^ |
Barry |
Jr. |
Pembroke Pines, Florida |
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SP |
Jeremy Cook |
Nova Southeastern |
Sr. |
Weston, Florida |
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SP |
Dawson Lane |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Lakeland, Florida |
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SP |
Aric McAtee |
Florida Southern |
Jr. |
Oak Harbor, Ohio |
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SP |
Jared Beck |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Davenport, Iowa |
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RP |
Ryan Langford |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Pembroke Pines, Florida |
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RP |
Michael Dillon |
Nova Southeastern |
So. |
Fishers, Indiana |
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2022 SSC Baseball All-Defensive Team |
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1B |
Jake Andriole |
Eckerd |
Fr. |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
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2B |
Joe Wike |
Eckerd |
Fr. |
Liverpool, New York |
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3B |
Joey Rubin |
Rollins |
Fr. |
Charlton, Massachusetts |
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SS |
Chase Achuff† |
Rollins |
Gr. |
St. Petersburg, Florida |
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C |
Dylan Owens |
Florida Tech |
Sr. |
Viera, Florida |
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OF |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Tampa, Florida |
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|
OF |
Nate Chevalier |
Florida Southern |
Gr. |
Valrico, Florida |
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OF |
Sam Schner# |
Florida Tech |
So. |
Boca Raton, Florida |
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P |
Jaylyn Whitehead*# |
Rollins |
Gr. |
Ocoee, Florida |
* = 2021 First Team All-SSC
^ = 2021 Second Team All-SSC
# = 2021 All-SSC Defensive Team
† = 2019 Second Team All-SSC
~ = 2018 Second Team All-SSC
‡ = 2019 Freshman of the Year
1 Previous Saint Leo Player of the Year winners: Jose Santos (1996), Allen Dina (1998)
2 Previous Rollins Pitcher of the Year winners: Steve Edsall (2004), Tim Griffin (2010)
3 Previous Tampa Freshman of the Year Winners: Erik Mirza (1995), Eric Sims (1996), Ronnie Merrill (1997), Joey Watts (2001), Billy Wimberly (2002), Jose Jimenez (2006)
4 Previous Saint Leo Coach of the Year Winners: John Schaly (1996)
5 No Sunshine State Conference All-Conferences awards were issued in Spring 2020