Catawba Sports Information

SALISBURY —  Jim Gantt was named the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association  Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

Senior shortstop Levi Perrell and grad student right-handed pitcher Payne Stolsworth also earned a spot on the NCBWA All-Southeast Region teams.

Gantt picked up the fourth Region Coach of the Year accolade of his 28-year career and first for NCBWA. The Catawba Indians’ skipper helped lead Catawba back to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, earning the top seed in the Southeast Regional for the third time in program history. Catawba enters NCAA Tournament action at 40-14 overall, its 10th campaign of 40-plus wins since 2004. The Catawba Indians are also ranked ninth in the most recent NCBWA national poll.

Stolsworth earned a nod to first team All-Region after earning South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors in his first season in Salisbury. Stolsworth joins elite company in Robbie Cowie, Bryan Ketchie, Craig Brooks and Ryan McClintock as first team All-Region pitchers for Catawba in the last 10 years. Stolsworth led the SAC in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched.

Perrell also received All-Region recognition, earning the shortstop position on the second team, joining assistant coach Jeremy Simpson as All-Region shortstops for the Catawba Indians since 2014. Perrell leads the team with a .373 average, 81 hits and 60 runs scored with 38 RBIs out of the leadoff spot and a single-season program record seven triples, along with 15 doubles and 36 walks.

Stolsworth and Gantt will advance to All-America and National Coach of the Year consideration, respectively. The NCBWA All-America teams will be announced next week.

NCBWA All-Southeast Region Teams

First Team

C – Jack Enrico, Young Harris

1B – David Lewis, North Greenville

2B – Cam Harris, Wingate

3B – Kasten Harvey, Lincoln Memorial

SS – Ethan Wilder, Lander

OF – Carson Boles, Lincoln Memorial

OF – Kody O’Connor, UNC Pembroke

OF – Sean Barnett, Wingate

OF – Donovan Ford, Newberry

DH – Joey Rezek, UNC Pembroke

UT – Gabriel Wuerth, Georgia College

SP – Zach Murray, Young Harris

SP – Rijnaldo Euson, Georgia Southwestern

SP – Reece Fields, North Greenville

SP – Payne Stolsworth, Catawba

RP – Dylan Beck, Young Harris

RP – Nate Roof, North Greenville

Second Team

C – Kalvin Alexander, Georgia Southwestern

1B – Brett Adams, Wingate

2B – Josean Sánchez, Erskine

3B – Matthew Mebane, Georgia College

SS – Levi Perrell, Catawba

OF – Michael Dolberry II, UNC Pembroke

OF – Derek Wylie, Columbus State

OF – Brandon Bellflower, Georgia College

OF – Vito Patierno, Mount Olive

DH – Connor Droze, Lander

UT – Connor Tucker, Belmont Abbey

SP – Erik Johnson, Mount Olive

SP – John Luke Glanton, Georgia College

SP – Jonathan Jacobs, UNC Pembroke

SP – Nick McCollum, Georgia Southwestern

RP – Hunter Harritan, Carson-Newman

RP – Leo Giannoni, Columbus State

Player of the Year | Carson Boles, Lincoln Memorial

Pitcher of the Year | Zach Murray, Young Harris

Coach of the Year | Jim Gantt, Catawba