SoCon Announces Baseball Postseason Awards  
 
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team took home three Southern Conference (SoCon) postseason awards, announced on Tuesday by the league office.   
 

Senior Jacob Budzik secured All-SoCon Second Team honors at third base, while freshmen Ayden West and Tanner Berry were both announced to the SoCon All-Freshman Team. 
 
UNCG locked up the seventh seed in the SoCon Tournament, going 7-14 in SoCon play during the regular season. The Spartans will play on Wednesday, May 20 at 12:30 p.m. against No. 6 ETSU at Fluor Field.  
 
UNCG ranks in the top-50 nationally among three categories: triples (21st/16), triples per game (27th/ 0. 30) and sacrifice flies (49th/28).  The Spartans have also secured three Quad one wins this season, the most in the SoCon.              
 
Jacob Budzik  
All-Conference Second Team  
Senior | Stallings, N.C.   

• Leads the team in doubles and RBIs with 17 and 41, respectively.  

• Had 17 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games.  

• Recorded a .303 batting average.  

• Swiped 12 bags, while also mashing 10 home runs during the season.  

  
Tanner Berry   
All-Freshman Team  
Freshman | Wilmington, N.C.    

• Leads the team and is ranked 13th in the SoCon in batting average (.336). 

• Has recorded 16 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games.  

• Paces the team and is ranked 12th in OBP with .440. 

• Has tallied 26 runs, 46 hits, one home run and 25 RBIs this season.  

Ayden West 
All-Freshman Team  
Freshman | Fremont, N.C.    

• Leads the team with a 3.38 ERA with at least 25 innings pitched.  

• Appeared in 21 games for the Spartans.  

• Struck out 23 batters with 24 walks allowed and 24 hits given up.  
   

2026 All-SoCon Baseball Team & Awards  

Player of the Year 

Chris Katz, Sr., OF, Mercer (Raleigh, NC) 

  

Pitcher of the Year 

Alec Bouchard, Jr., RHP, Wofford (Soddy Daisy, TN) 

  

Freshman of the Year 

Garrett Lambert, R-Fr., RHP, Mercer (Lilburn, GA) 

  

Golden Glove Award (Defensive Player of the Year) 

Aryan Patel, Sr., 3B, The Citadel (Hanahan, SC) 

  

Coach of the Year 

Craig Gibson, Mercer 

  

First-Team All-SoCon 

SP – Alec Bouchard, Wofford 

SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer 

SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel 

RP – Mason Snyder, Western Carolina 

RP – Jess Ackerman, Mercer 

RP – Zak Spurrier, Samford 

C – Cade Carr, Samford 

1B – Grayson Fitzwater, VMI 

1B – Tristan Curless, ETSU 

2B – Trent Turner, Western Carolina 

SS – Titan Kamaka, Mercer 

3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer 

OF – Chris Katz, Mercer 

OF – Eli Stephens, Mercer 

OF – Jake Souders, Samford 

DH – Braydon Kersey, Mercer 

  

Second-Team All-SoCon 

SP – Michael Harpster, ETSU 

SP – Andrew Buffkin, The Citadel 

SP – Cullen Condon, Wofford 

RP – Michael Gibson, The Citadel 

RP – Andrew Garnett, Mercer 

RP – Zane Davis, The Citadel 

C – Cole Raile, VMI 

C – Noah Quarless, Western Carolina 

1B – Michael Gibson, The Citadel 

2B – Ian Guanzon, ETSU 

SS – Henry Ferguson, ETSU 

3B – Jacob Budzik, UNC Greensboro 

OF – Ben Timblin, Wofford 

OF – Jamie Palmese, ETSU 

OF – Luke Boykin, Samford 

DH – Nate Conner, ETSU 

  

2026 SoCon All-Freshman Team 

Garrett Lambert, P, Mercer 

Jaylen Jones, OF, Western Carolina 

Brady Gold, SS, Wofford 

Jayden Williams, OF, The Citadel 

Evan Myers, P, Western Carolina 

Eddie Marshall, C, Samford 

Cooper Jones, P, ETSU 

Tanner Berry, C, UNC Greensboro 

Mason Ault, C, ETSU 

Ethan Buffone, 2B, Mercer 

Ayden West, P, UNC Greensboro 

Buddy Baker, P, VMI 

  

2026 SoCon All-Defensive Team 

Aryan Patel, 3B, The Citadel 

Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI 

Owen Prince, OF, VMI 

Henry Ferguson, 2B, ETSU 

Jayden Williams, OF, The Citadel 

Parker McDonald, 3B, Samford 

Jamie Palmese, OF, ETSU 

Cade Carr, C, Samford 

Jeff Ince, 2B, Samford 

Niko Brini, OF, Wofford 

Trent Turner, 2B, Western Carolina         

Gus Gandy, SS, Samford