GCSU has trio named to ABCA All-Region teams 

GREENSBORO, N.C. | Three Georgia College & State University baseball players have been honored by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

John Luke Glanton was named to ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II Southeast All-Region first team, while Matthew Mebane and Brandon Bellflower were named to the second team. The trio each earned all-region honors last month by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association. They are the first Bobcats to be named to an ABCA All-Region team since Cal Gentry was named to the second team in 2019.

Glanton, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Metter, Georgia, started all 17 of his appearances on the mound. Glanton, who was a first-team All-Peach Belt Conference selection and named to the All-PBC Tournament team, finished the season at 11-5 with a 3.01 earned-run average with five complete games and two shared shutouts. In 119.2 innings pitched, Glanton allowed 117 hits and 40 earned runs, while striking out 66 and walking just 22. Opponents hit just .253 against Glanton in 2024. He is fifth in NCAA Division II statistics in games started, fifth in complete games, sixth in wins, and 32nd in walks allowed per nine innings (1.65), 42nd in ERA, 47th in hits allowed per nine innings (1.53) and 50th in walks plus hits per inning (1.16).  Glanton topped the league in complete games, games started and wins, and third in ERA, hits allowed per nine innings, WHIP and walks allowed per nine innings. Glanton was named the PBC Pitcher of the Week April 29.

Mebane, a junior from Dublin, Georgia, stared all 59 games at third base for GCSU. He batted .318 (77-of-242) and led the Bobcats with 20 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 70 RBI, while slugging .628 and an on-base percentage of .403. Mebane also scored 61 runs and stole four bases. He is ranked 12th in NCAA Division II in home runs, 21st in RBI, 22nd in total bases (152), and 33rd in home runs per game (0.34). Mebane led the PBC in total bases, home runs, and RBI, and fourth in home runs per game. Mebane was honored as the league's Player of the Week on March 25.

Bellflower, a senior right fielder from Milledgeville, Georgia, started all 59 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-conference team for the fourth time, led GCSU with a .370 batting average (85-of-230) with 23 doubles,11 homers and drove in 47 runs, while scoring 65 runs. He slugged .613 and had a .481 on-base percentage with six stolen bases. Bellflower is eighth in Division II in doubles, 28th in hits, 34th in runs scored (34), 35th in walks (43), and 37th in doubles per game (0.39) and fourth in total bases (141). Bellflower, who was named to the All-PBC Tournament team, led the PBC in doubles, doubles per game, and runs, third in total bases and hits, and fifth in walks.

The No. 20-ranked Bobcats finished the 2024 campaign with a 37-22 ledger and made their 15th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament where they advanced to the Southeast Super Regional after winning the PBC Tournament.