GREENSBORO, N.C. - Coming off what was on its way toward becoming a historic 2020 season, UNCG baseball returns to the field this February ranked third in the latest SoCon Preseason team rankings. The Spartans also had three selections to this year's Preseason All-SoCon team with Austin Koehn, Zack Budzik and Greg Hardison all receiving second team honors.

Going a perfect 1-0 during the shortened 2020 season, Koehn turned in a 1.04 ERA over 17.1 innings of work last year, following his selection to the 2019 SoCon All-Freshman team. He was part of a Spartan pitching staff that set season program records in ERA (3.24) and BAA (.245) the previous year, as the righty struck out 19 batters in four appearances and a pair of starts.

Budzik and Hardison were both on national radars last season. Budzik placed himself among some of the top baserunners in the nation after stealing 12 bases on 13 attempts, leading the SoCon and ranking fifth in Division I. Hardison's eight doubles were second in the conference, and put the outfielder 15th in the country for that category.

Both players were 2019 All-SoCon selections, with Budzik taking a spot on the first team. While his .549 slugging percentage was one of the top marks on the Spartan roster, Hardison led the Spartans with a .340 batting average and .413 OBP that year. 

The Spartans took third in this year's Coaches Poll, one of just three teams to receive a first-place vote. UNCG was preceded by Samford in first, who received six first-place votes, and Mercer, who received one. Wofford rounds out the top-four in the conference voting after tying with the Spartans on points (32), but did not tally any first-place votes from the coaches of the SoCon. 

Austin Koehn
Second Team All-SoCon Starting Pitcher
Redshirt-Sophomore | Right-Handed Pitcher | Bel Air, Md.
• First career Preseason All-SoCon selection
• A perfect 1-0 record in the shortened 2020 season, making four appearances and a pair of weekend starts
• 1.04 ERA in 2020 ranked second in the SoCon
• Struck out 19 batters to just four walks, over 17.1 IP last season
• 2019 SoCon All-Freshman selection
• Struck out 67 batters while leading the Spartans in innings (77.1) during his freshman year

Zack Budzik
Second Team All-SoCon Third Baseman
Redshirt-Sophomore | Infielder | Stallings, N.C.
• First career Preseason All-SoCon selection
• 12 stolen bases in 2020 topped the SoCon and ranked fifth in the country
• Drew 12 walks with an OBP of .419 the previous season
• 2019 First Team All-SoCon and SoCon All-Freshman
• .549 slugging in 2019 led all Spartans with at least 100 at bats
• Has nine doubles, two triples and four home runs over 48 appearances in his career

Greg Hardison
Second Team All-SoCon Outfield
Redshirt-Junior | Infielder/Outfielder | Greenville, N.C.
• Second consecutive Preseason All-SoCon selection
• Eight doubles in 2020 proved second-best in the SoCon and ranked 15th in the country
• Started 2020 on a 15-game hitting streak, reaching safely in every game on the year
• 2019 Second Team All-SoCon selection
• Led the Spartans for both batting average (.340) and on-base percentage (.413) in 2019
• Slashed .354/.417/.631 against SoCon opponents in 2019, driving in 10 runs over 15 appearances
 

Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Samford (6)	48
2. Mercer (1)	43
3. UNCG (1)	32
4. Wofford	32
T5. ETSU	23
T5. Western Carolina	23
7. The Citadel	13
8. VMI	10

 

Preseason Media Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Samford (6)	83
2. Mercer (3)	73
3. Wofford (1)	65
4. UNCG	54
5. ETSU	46
6. Western Carolina	32
7. The Citadel	30
8. VMI	13

Opening Day
UNCG prepares for its opening day against Elon on February 19th. The three-game series with the Phoenix kicks off what is currently a 52-game schedule, with matchups against No. 13 NC State, No. 19 Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

#letsgoG