College of Charleston senior right-handed pitcher Matt Pegler was selected Preseason Pitcher of the Year by a poll of the Southern Conference coaches, the conference office announced Thursday afternoon.
College of Charleston was picked to finish first in the conference in a poll of the league’s media, while the SoCon coaches selected the Cougars third in the league, just a vote behind second-place Western Carolina. The coaches voted Elon to win the league in 2013.
Along with Pitcher of the Year, Pegler was also selected to the All-SoCon Preseason First Team along with teammate Brandon Murray. Senior Bradley Goodson was picked for the Preseason Second Team. Pegler won the Pitcher of the Year Award with the maximum number of first-place votes.
A native of Greenville, S.C., Pegler became just the fifth player in CofC history to record a 10-win season as he went 10-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 2012. He ranked second in the Southern Conference in ERA and third in wins as he was named to the All-SoCon Second Team. Pegler led the conference in opposing batting average with a mark of .221, and he recorded 66 strikeouts and only 20 walks in 15 starts. Earlier this year, Pegler was selected as an NCBWA Preseason All-America Third Team pick, marking the fifth consecutive season that a Cougar has earned a preseason All-America nod.
Murray was picked Preseason All-SoCon First Team after leading the Cougars with 12 home runs in 2012 and earning a spot on the 2012 All-SoCon Second Team. Murray finished second on the team with a .330 batting average and tallied 42 RBI.
Goodson was named to the Preseason Second Team after hitting .276 with 42 RBI and eight home runs last season. He garnered a spot on last season’s All-SoCon Second Team as well.
The Cougars were picked to win the conference by the league’s media with a 10-point margin over second-place Elon. Last season, the Cougars won a share of the regular season title with Appalachian State, and they return six position players from a team that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
College of Charleston has been picked first in the Southern Conference by a number of national media outlets including Baseball America and Perfect Game USA.
The Cougars open the regular season on Friday, February 15 with a home series against Xavier.
2013 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Place Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Elon (5) 93
2. Western Carolina (3) 88
3. College of Charleston (3) 87
4. Samford 65
5. Georgia Southern 64
6. Appalachian State 61
7. Furman 42
8. The Citadel 39
9. UNCG 37
10. Wofford 16
11. Davidson 13
2013 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Place Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. College of Charleston (10) 195
2. Elon (4) 185
3. Samford (3) 152
4. Appalachian State (1) 143
5. Georgia Southern 142
6. Western Carolina 139
7. The Citadel 87
8. Furman 74
9. UNCG 73
10. Wofford 41
11. Davidson 23
2013 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Phillip Ervin, Jr., OF, Samford
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Matt Pegler, Sr., RHP, College of Charleston
First Team
SP Matt Pegler, College of Charleston
SP Dylan Clark, Elon
RP Preston Hatcher, Western Carolina
C Alex Swim, Elon
1B Ryan Kinsella, Elon
2B Hector Crespo, Appalachian State
SS Will Callaway, Appalachian State
3B Trevor Edwards, UNCG
OF Tyler Zupcic, Appalachian State
OF Brandon Murray, College of Charleston
OF Phillip Ervin, Samford
DH C.K. Irby, Samford
Second Team
SP C.K. Irby, Samford
SP Brandon Yarusi, Wofford
RP Nate Young, Elon
C Chase Griffin, Georgia Southern
1B Tyler White, Western Carolina
2B Zeth Stone, Samford
SS Aaron Attaway, Western Carolina
3B Bradley Goodson, College of Charleston
OF Will Muzika, Furman
OF Scooter Williams, Georgia Southern
OF Julian Ridings, Western Carolina
DH Jacob Hoyle, Western Carolina