DALLAS – Conference USA announced its 2022 preseason baseball awards, as chosen by the league’s 12 head coaches. Charlotte junior infielder
Austin Knight has been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year, while LA Tech redshirt junior left-hander
Jonathan Fincher was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Southern Miss was chosen as the favorite to win the league’s championship, earning six first place votes.
Knight hit .342 with 11 home runs and 63 RBI in 60 appearances in 2021 on his way to All-America status from several publications, and enters 2022 as a D1Baseball Preseason All-American. Fincher went 8-3 for the Bulldogs in 2021 with a 3.05 ERA in 100.1 innings pitched with 85 strikeouts to just 23 walks across 17 appearances on his way to First Team All-Conference USA honors.
Old Dominion, who was picked to finish third by the league’s head coaches, placed a league-high six players on the preseason All-Conference team. Southern Miss had the second-most, with four selections.
The 2022 Conference USA baseball season begins Friday, Feb. 18.
2022 Preseason Baseball Awards
(as selected by C-USA’s 12 head coaches)
Preseason Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
- Southern Miss (6)
- LA Tech (2)
- Old Dominion (1)
- Charlotte (2)
- Florida Atlantic
- UTSA
- FIU (1)
- Rice
- WKU
- Middle Tennessee
- UAB
- Marshall
Preseason Player of the Year
Austin Knight, Charlotte (Junior, INF)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Jonathan Fincher, LA Tech (RS Junior, LHP)
Preseason All-Conference Team
C: Brock Gagliardi, Old Dominion
INF: Austin Knight, Charlotte
INF: Tommy Bell, Old Dominion
INF: Taylor Young, LA Tech
INF: Danny Lynch, Southern Miss
OF: Andy Garriola, Old Dominion
OF: Carter Trice, Old Dominion
OF: Gabe Montenegro, Southern Miss
DH: Charlie Fischer, Southern Miss
UTIL: Jonathan Tapia, UTSA
SP: Ben Ethridge, Southern Miss
SP: Jonathan Fincher, LA Tech
SP: Hunter Cooley, Florida Atlantic
SP: Jarrett Whorf, LA Tech
RP: Jason Hartline, Old Dominion
RP: Noah Dean, Old Dominion