HIGH POINT – Scotland High School alum Dylan Ward was named to the all-Conference Carolinas team, the league announced this week.

Ward, a starting pitcher for Barton College, was one of four Bulldogs selected to the all-conference squad. Tyler Garrett, Calvin Hawke and Andrew Webster were the others.

The Laurinburg resident, who transferred to Barton after a season at Wingate University, was placed on the first team. He started 11 games on the mound for Barton and compiled an 8-2 overall record, tying the league lead in wins.

The right-hander threw 82 innings, allowing 31 runs (21 earned) for a 2.30 ERA with 68 strikeouts. His ERA is the lowest mark for a starting pitcher in the conference, while his innings and strikeout totals rank third and sixth respectively. Ward was honored as Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Week twice this season following Week’s 4 and 11.

The four all-conference awards are the most for Barton since the program had four players selected following the 2009 season. The Player of the Year honor is the first such award for Webster and the third in program history as Jody O’Neal (1996) and Brock Godwin (2006) also won the award as members of the Barton baseball team.

Webster, a junior from Pittsboro, was recognized as a the Player of the Year and first-team catcher after ranking in the top five among conference players in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total hits, home runs and total RBI. The all-conference nod is the second for Webster as he was a second-team selection following his freshman season in 2013-14.

The Week 5 Conference Carolinas Player of the Week and NCBWA Southeast Region Hitter of the Week hit .407 during the regular season with 70 hits, including 12 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs, to go along with a .483 on-base percentage and .674 slugging percentage. He drove in a league-high 60 RBI and scored 38 runs of his own in 46 games. Webster’s season was highlighted by a 5-for-5 performance against King in February in which he hit for the cycle, including a grand slam and a walk, while scoring three runs and tying a school record with nine RBI.

Hawke, a junior from Wendell, was named as the second-team all-conference shortstop after leading the Bulldogs and ranking second in the conference with a .418 batting average. The all-conference award was the first of Hawke’s career.

He totaled 71 hits during the regular season, including 11 doubles, one triple and one home run, while driving in 37 RBI and scoring 32 runs. Hawke was second on the team and fourth in the league with 17 stolen bases and recorded a .946 fielding percentage over 48 games.

Garrett was the third member of the Barton baseball team to receive all-conference recognition for the first time after being named as a second-team outfielder. The centerfielder from Greenville hit .352 as the Bulldogs’ primary leadoff hitter, totaling 58 hits, including nine doubles, three triples and a home run.

The junior set a school-record with 29 stolen bases, a mark good enough for second among conference players, while scoring a team-high 49 runs and driving in 28 RBI.

Dylan Ward
https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_-RM1NUM9-1.jpgDylan Ward

Staff report