IRVING, Texas – East Carolina has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2022 American Athletic Conference Preseason Baseball Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Pirate sophomore Carson Whisenhunt was picked as the conference’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Cincinnati redshirt junior outfielder Paul Komistek was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.
East Carolina received six first-place votes and a total of 48 points to be named the league’s preseason favorite. Tulane was selected second and received 36 points (and one first-place vote). Cincinnati was picked third with 30 points, followed by Wichita State (29), UCF (28), South Florida (26), Houston (20) and Memphis (7). Defending tournament champion South Florida received the final first-place vote.
East Carolina went 44-17 overall last season and won The American’s regular-season crown with a 20-8 conference record. Whisenhunt, who went 6-2 with a 3.77 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 62.0 innings last season, is joined on the preseason all-conference team by sophomore relief pitcher C.J. Mayhue, who had eight saves in 2021.
Tulane finished second in The American in 2021 with a 17-10 conference record and a 31-24 overall record. The Green Wave has four members on the preseason all-conference team (most of any team), including redshirt junior Tyler Hoffman (4-3, 4.24 ERA), sophomore catcher Bennett Lee (.440, 4 HR, 28 RBI), sophomore second baseman Chase Engelhard (.299, 9 HR, 52 RBI) and redshirt senior designated hitter Luis Aviles (.255, 7 HR, 40 RBI).
Cincinnati went 29-26 last season and 18-14 in conference play. The Bearcats’ entire starting outfield made the preseason all-conference team, including Komistek, who hit .364 with nine home runs and 44 runs batted in, redshirt junior Griffin Merritt (.274, 10 HR, 38 RBI) and sophomore Cole Harting (.289, 10 HR, 34 RBI).
Wichita State placed third in the regular season standings with an 18-13 conference record and 31-23 record overall. Sophomore pitcher Jace Kaminska (8-1, 2.32 ERA, 51 K) was a unanimous preseason all-conference selection and was joined by senior first baseman Garrett Kocis (.286, 12 HR, 45 RBI).
UCF (31-30, 18-14) has three members on the preseason all-conference team, including redshirt junior outfielder Gephry Pena (.290, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 27 SB), redshirt junior designated hitter Tom Josten (.253, 8 HR, 31 RBI) and sophomore shortstop Alex Freeland (.288, 7 HR, 37 RBI).
South Florida (31-30, 14-14) won the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, went on to win the Gainesville Regional in the NCAA Championship and advanced to the Austin Super Regional in 2021. The Bulls are represented on the preseason all-conference team by redshirt sophomore pitcher Jack Jasiak (6-7, 2.93 ERA, 93 K), who was a unanimous selection, redshirt sophomore third baseman Carmine Lane (.306, 11 HR, 43 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Drew Brutcher (.294, 8 HR, 17 RBI).
Houston (19-34, 7-21) is led by senior first baseman Ryan Hernandez, who hit 11 home runs for the Cougars, and has one of the top relief pitching prospects in the league in junior Derrick Cherry, who had five saves and a 2.85 ERA in 19 appearances.
Memphis (18-39, 7-25) returns four starters from the 2021 lineup and will look for Connor Shamblin (from Alabama) and Dalton Fowler (from Oklahoma) to be impact transfers on the mound.
2022 American Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason Poll
East Carolina (6) 48
Tulane (1) 36
Cincinnati 30
Wichita State 29
UCF 28
South Florida (1) 26
Houston 20
Memphis 7
First-Place votes in parenthesis
Preseason Player of the Year
Paul Komistek, R-Jr., OF, Cincinnati
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Carson Whisenhunt, So., East Carolina
Preseason All-Conference Team
P – Carson Whisenhunt, So., East Carolina*
P – Jack Jasiak, R-So., South Florida*
P – Tyler Hoffman, R-Jr., Tulane
P – Jace Kaminska, So., Wichita State*
RP – C.J. Mayhue, So., East Carolina
C – Bennett Lee, So., Tulane
1B – Garrett Kocis, Sr., Wichita State
2B – Chase Engelhard, So., Tulane
SS – Alex Freeland, So., UCF
3B – Carmine Lane, R-So., South Florida
OF – Gephry Pena, R-Jr., UCF
OF – Cole Harting, So., Cincinnati
OF – Paul Komistek, R-Jr., Cincinnati*
OF – Griffin Merritt, R-Jr., Cincinnati
OF – Drew Brutcher, So., South Florida
DH – Tom Josten, R-Jr., UCF
DH – Luis Aviles, R-Sr., Tulane
* denotes unanimous selection
https://theamerican.org/news/2021/12/29/...orite.aspx
