Ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 Big South Baseball Championship, the league office has released their annual postseason awards.
The three most prestigious awards were given to Presbyterian as Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Coach of the Year were all earned by the team for the first time in program history. These awards were released by the Big South Conference on Wednesday morning and include 10 awards given to seven different Presbyterian team members.
Joel Dragoo
Big South Player of the Year
First Team All-Conference
Starting in all 54 games for PC, Dragoo topped the conference leaderboards with a .413 batting average (tied for ninth in the country), .810 slugging percentage, .518 on-base percentage, and seven sacrifice flies. He finished second in hits (78), RBIs (65), doubles (20), and walks (42).
His record-breaking season included new DI single-season program records for home runs (17) and RBIs (65). Additionally, Dragoo scored 57 runs, hit two triples, and succeeded in 11 of 13 stolen base attempts. During the second half of the season, Dragoo went on an impressive 22-game hit streak, which included sweeps over Radford, Winthrop, and Charleston Southern. In center field, he achieved a .993 fielding percentage with 139 putouts and five assists on 145 chances.
In conference play, the junior batted .398 with 35 hits. He recorded 26 runs, 25 RBIs, 19 walks, 10 doubles, and six home runs. His on-base percentage was .505, and he succeeded in seven of his nine stolen base attempts.
Throughout the 2024 season, the Big South Conference recognized Dragoo four separate times with weekly accolades. These honors not only showcased Dragoo's consistency and drive but also highlighted his dedication and hard work behind the scenes.
Daniel Eagen
Big South Pitcher of the Year
First Team All-Conference
Eagen started 13 games for the Blue Hose, pitching a total of 70.2 innings. His impressive 2.55 ERA led the Big South Conference and ranked him among the top 15 pitchers nationally. Eagen also set a new PC record with 112 strikeouts, leading the conference and ranking in the top 10 nationally. He held batters to a .172 average, allowed just 43 hits and 20 earned runs, and achieved a 6-1 record with a 0.98 WHIP.
Eagen had many standout performances, including a 14-strikeout game in a 4-2 win over Radford, marking his career high and the most strikeouts in a single game by a Presbyterian pitcher. In the team's series opener against UNC Asheville, Eagen didn't give up a hit until the top of the ninth inning, leading to the team's highest-scoring shutout in DI history with a final score of 17-0.
Eagen started in eight conference games this season, pitching 47.1 innings. During this time, he recorded a 5-1 record with a 2.66 ERA. He also threw 76 strikeouts while holding batters to a .160 average, allowing just 26 hits and 14 earned runs.
His six Big South Player of the Week awards are the most that any player in program history has seen not only in one season but all-time. His recognition from the conference put his effort in focus and showed the fans how good of a player he really is.
Elton Pollock
Big South Coach of the Year
Coach Pollock was named Big South Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after leading his team through a remarkable season. Many of his players broke program records, including his own third-place single-season home run record set in 1995, which was broken by Joel Dragoo earlier this season.
He led the team to a 29-25 record with 18 conference wins, resulting in the program's first Big South regular-season championship title. In Big South Conference series, the team swept four opponents: Radford, Winthrop, Charleston Southern, and UNC Asheville.
Under Coach Pollock's guidance, not only these award-winning players but every player on the roster has grown to become a better athlete, student, and person overall.
Charlie McDaniel
First Team All-Conference
All-Academic Team
McDaniel started 14 games for the Blue Hose this season, earning a 7-1 record over 86.1 innings on the mound. His 53rd career start against Charleston Southern earlier this season made McDaniel Presbyterian's all-time leader in career starts. He recorded a 3.44 ERA, ranking third-best in the Big South. He ranked fourth in the conference with 83 strikeouts, fifth in batting average against (.242), and eighth in earned runs allowed (33). He tied for second in the league with seven wins, recorded a 1.14 WHIP, and had five outings with at least seven strikeouts.
Against conference opponents, McDaniel tallied a 5-1 record with a 4.30 ERA. He held opponents to a .264 average, allowing just 25 earned runs and striking out 44 batters with only 11 walks.
Brody Fahr
First Team All-Conference
Fahr started 53 games in his senior season, tallying 64 hits over 197 at-bats for a .325 batting average. He led the team with 58 runs, tying for second in the Big South. His .457 slugging percentage included 18 extra-base hits: 12 doubles, four triples (tied for second in the conference), and two home runs. Fahr added 39 RBIs, 30 walks, a .419 on-base percentage, four sacrifice flies, two sacrifice bunts, and went 4-for-5 in stolen bases. As the team's go-to shortstop, he had a .966 fielding percentage with 73 putouts, 125 assists, and was part of 18 double plays.
Against Big South opponents, Fahr improved his batting average to .330, recording 31 hits, 29 runs, 18 RBIs, and 44 total bases. He also tallied nine extra-base hits, a .468 slugging percentage, 14 walks, and a .423 on-base percentage.
Fahr opened the season with a nine-game hit streak, collecting 19 hits on 32 at-bats. He later matched this streak towards the end of the season, helping the team beat USC Upstate twice and sweep Charleston Southern.
Jackson Hugus
Second Team All-Conference
Hugus played in 45 games, starting 39 as a catcher. He posted a .295 batting average over 122 at-bats with 36 hits, 23 runs, and 27 RBIs. His .475 slugging percentage included five home runs, the second most on the team, and seven doubles. Hugus also had 22 walks, a .436 on-base percentage, two sacrifice flies, and a perfect 1-for-1 in stolen bases. Defensively, he achieved a .994 fielding percentage from 360 chances, with 326 putouts, 32 assists, and six runners caught stealing.
His .311 batting average, 19 hits, and 18 RBIs against conference opponents made him one of the best offensive players in the Big South. He also recorded 14 runs and 10 extra-base hits, including four home runs. Hugus achieved a .462 on-base percentage with 12 walks.
Jake Randolph
Second Team All-Conference
Randolph played in 33 games, starting 25. He finished the season with a .307 batting average, 27 hits, 22 runs, 20 RBIs, and 41 total bases. He had a .466 slugging percentage with five doubles and three home runs, 10 walks, a .392 on-base percentage, a sacrifice fly, and one stolen base.
While competing against conference teams, Randolph excelled with a .358 batting average, 19 hits, 18 runs, 14 RBIs, and six extra-base hits, including two home runs. He also recorded a .547 slugging percentage, six walks, and a .426 on-base percentage.
