All Sun Belt, Cameron Jones, Josh Smith

Baseball

Jones, Smith Named Preseason All-Sun Belt

Opening Day is Feb. 18

ATLANTA -- Georgia State two-way standout Cameron Jones and outfielder Josh Smith were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference baseball team, as selected by the league head coaches.

The 2022 college baseball season opens Feb. 18, when the Panthers host Purdue Fort Wayne at 3 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex to begin a four-game weekend series.

Jones, a left-handed pitcher and right-handed hitting first baseman-outfielder, was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection a year ago as a weekend starting pitcher and starting first baseman. The sophomore from Kathleen, Ga., led the Panthers in innings pitched, including a complete game against conference champion South Alabama and a combined two-hitter against Coastal Carolina.

On offense, he hit .275 with one homer and 10 RBI. Among his highlights at the plate were his three-run homer in the Panthers' 9-run, 9th-inning rally to defeat Appalachian State and his game-tying double in the bottom of the 14th inning in a win over Wofford.

Smith was also named to a Preseason Third-Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

The fourth-year junior from College Park, Ga. (North Springs High School) is the Panthers' top returning hitter. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2021, leading the team with a .324 average, 10 home runs, including two grand slams, and 35 RBI. He also led the Panthers with a .415 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases.

He was named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference and Sun Belt All-Tournament and was twice chosen as the Sun Belt Player of the Week.

Smith was first named Sun Belt Player of the Week on April 12 after hitting the game-winning grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, capping a nine-run rally, for 15-13 win over App State. He then hit another grand slam the following Sunday and drove in a career-high five runs in 17-15 win over Troy.  His second Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honor came May 17 after he hit .583 and slugged 1.250, including two homers, to lead the Panthers' series sweep at Texas State.
For Immediate Release
February 10, 2022
 
 
SUN BELT ANNOUNCES 2022 BASEBALL
PRESEASON HONORS
 


NEW ORLEANS — Coastal Carolina junior shortstop Eric Brown and South Alabama senior starting pitcher Miles Smith headlined the conference's 2022 preseason honors as the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year. A vote of the conference's 12 head coaches determined the Preseason Player of the Year, Preseason Pitcher of the Year and Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.     
 
Brown was an All-Sun Belt Second Team honoree in 2021, after starting 50 games at shortstop for the Chanticleers. The Bossier City, La., product hit .294 with 12 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 42 runs scored and 38 RBIs a season ago. 
 
Smith was the Most Outstanding Player of the Sun Belt Baseball Championship in 2021, after pitching the final 7.2 innings and earning the win in the tournament finale for the Jaguars on short rest. The Laurel, Miss., native compiled a 1.88 ERA over 76.2 innings pitched, while striking out 71 and allowing just 61 hits during his junior campaign. Smith went 6-1 with two saves in 2021. 
 
The Sun Belt also announced the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team Thursday. Georgia Southern paced all Sun Belt programs with three preseason honorees, while App State, Georgia State and Troy also had multiple players selected. 
 
Sun Belt teams return to the diamond beginning on Friday, Feb. 18, with conference play commencing on Friday, March 18. Teams will play a 30-game conference schedule that will culminate with the 2022 Sun Belt Baseball Championship at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala., from May 24-29, 2022. 
 
2022 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Eric Brown, Coastal Carolina (Jr., SS – Bossier City, La.) 
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Miles Smith, South Alabama (Sr., SP – Laurel, Miss.) 
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Miles Smith, South Alabama (Sr., SP – Laurel, Miss.) 
Hayden Arnold, Little Rock (Sr., SP – Rison, Ark.) 
Tyler Tuthill, App State (Jr., SP – Clayton, N.C.)
Brandon Talley, Louisiana (Sr., RP – Princeton, Texas)
Caleb Bartolero, Troy (Jr., C – Woodstock, Ga.)
Jason Swan, Georgia Southern (Sr., 1B – Jacksonville, Fla.)
Luke Drumheller, App State (Jr., 2B – Charlotte, N.C.) 
Eric Brown, Coastal Carolina (Jr., SS – Bossier City, La.) 
Ben Klutts, Arkansas State (Sr., 3B – Poteau, Okla.) 
Christian Avant, Georgia Southern (Sr., OF – Tifton, Ga.)
Josh Smith, Georgia State (Jr., OF – College Park, Ga.) 
Rigsby Mosley, Troy (Sr., OF – Maitland, Fla.) 
Cameron Jones, Georgia State (So., UT – Kathleen, Ga.) 
Noah Ledford, Georgia Southern (Jr., DH – Buford, Ga.)

 


 
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Players Mentioned

Josh Smith

#44 Josh Smith

OF
6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
Cameron Jones

#1 Cameron Jones

LHP/OF
6' 1"
Sophomore
R/L

Players Mentioned

Josh Smith

#44 Josh Smith

6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
OF
Cameron Jones

#1 Cameron Jones

6' 1"
Sophomore
R/L
LHP/OF