Four Bobcats named to NCBWA Division II All-Region teams

SALISBURY, N.C. | Four Georgia College & State University baseball players were honored by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on the eve of the 2024 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional No. 2.

Gabriel Wuerth was named to the NCBWA Division II All-Southeast Region first team, while John Luke Glanton, Brandon Bellflower and Matthew Mebane were second team honorees. It was the first all-region nod for the quartet.

Wuerth, a sophomore from Woodstock, Georgia, split the 54 games he started between second base and shortstop this season. Wuerth, who was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference first team, currently is second for the Bobcats in batting average (.377, 87-of-231). He also had 14 doubles. three home runs and drove in 36 runs. Wuerth, who currently has a team-high 24-game hitting streak, has slugged .476  and has a .431 on-base percentage to go along with his 11 stolen bases and 54 runs scored. Wuerth is ranked eighth in NCAA Division II statistics in hits and 19th in hits per game (1.61). He is listed No. 1 in the Peach Belt in hits, second in  hits per game, fifth in batting average,and eighth in sacrifices (5) and toughest to strikeout (10.0).

Bellflower, a senior right fielder from Milledgeville, Georgia, started all 54 games. Bellflower, who was named to the All-PBC first team and only the second baseball player in the league to be named to the all-league team for the fourth time, leads GCSU with a  .380 batting average (81-of-213) with 22 doubles,10 homers and drove in 43 runs, while scoring 60 runs. He has slugged .624 and has a .489 on-base percentage with five stolen bases. Bellflower is 11th in Division II in doubles, 23rd in hits, and 28th in doubles per game (0.41). Bellflower, who was named to the All-PBC Tournament team, leads the PBC in doubles and doubles per game, third in total bases (133), fourth in hits and fifth in hits per game (1.50).

Mebane, a junior from Dublin, Georgia, stared all 54 games at third base for GCSU. He has batted .321 (72-of-224) and led the Bobcats with 17 home runs. Mebane, who was named to the All-PBC first team and was named the MVP of the PBC Tournament, also collected 15 doubles and drove in a team-leading 61 RBI, while slugging .616 and an on-base percentage of .400. Mebane also scored 55 runs and stole four bases. He is ranked 25th in NCAA Division II in home runs, 34th in total bases (138), and 43rd in home runs per game (0.31). Mebane is second in the PBC in total bases, third in RBI, fourth in home runs and home runs per game, fifth in RBI per game (1.15), and seventh in doubles. Mebane was honored as the league's Player of the Week on March 25.

Glanton, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Metter, Georgia, started all 15 of his appearances on the mound. Glanton, who was a first-team All-PBC selection and named to the All-PBC Tournament team, is currently 10-4 on the season with a 2.44 earned-run average with five complete games and two shared shutouts. In 107 innings pitched, Glanton has allowed 96 hits and 29 earned runs, while striking out 55 and walking just 20. Opponents are just hitting .238 against Glanton in 2024. He is fourth in NCAA Division II statistics in games started, fifth in complete games, eighth in wins, 12th in ERA, 33rd in walks plus hits per inning (1.08), and 38th in walks allowed per nine innings (1.68).  Glanton tops the league in complete games, games started and wins, second in ERA and WHIP, third in walks allowed per nine innings, and fifth in hits allowed per nine innings (8.07). Glanton was named the PBC Pitcher of the Week April 29.

The Bobcats (34-20) captured their fifth PBC Tournament title last weekend as they defeated Flagler College in the PBC Championship Series. The Bobcats, who are making their 15th trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament and first since 2018, are seeded No. 7 in the regional and will face No. 2 seed and regional host North Greenville University in the first round of the double-elimination tournament Thursday (May 16) at 6 p.m. at Ray & Bea Dillard FIeld at Ashmore Park in Tigerville, South Carolina.