CAA Baseball

UNCW's Baldwin Named 2022 CAA Baseball Player Of The Year

UNCW's Baldwin Named 2022 CAA Baseball Player Of The Year

Baldwin led the CAA with a .348 batting average and ranking among the league’s top five in hits (65), runs (44), homers (11) and stolen bases (16).

May 24, 2022 by FloBaseball Staff
UNCW's Baldwin Named 2022 CAA Baseball Player Of The Year

UNCW junior second baseman Brooks Baldwin was chosen as the 2022 CAA baseball Player of the Year, while Charleston sophomore right-hander William Privette was selected as the CAA Pitcher of the Year as the conference announced its post-season award winners on Tuesday.

Other top honors went to Charleston freshman outfielder Tyler Sorrentino and Elon freshman pitcher Shea Sprague as CAA Co-Rookies of the Year, William & Mary junior infielder Ben Williamson as CAA Defensive Player of the Year and Charleston’s Chad Holbrook as CAA Coach of the Year.

Baldwin turned in an outstanding season offensively, leading the CAA with a .348 batting average and ranking among the league’s top five in hits (65), runs (44), homers (11), stolen bases (16), total bases (114) and slugging (.630). The junior closed the regular season on an 11-game hitting streak and had 17 multi-hit contests in 2022. He moved from the outfield to second base this season and excelled defensively, committing only eight errors and compiling a .962 fielding percentage. Baldwin is UNCW’s fourth CAA Player of the Year since 2016.

Privette had one of the top seasons of any relief pitcher in the nation in 2022. The sophomore right-hander was 3-1 with a league-high 12 saves and he leads the country with a 0.95 ERA. He also ranks second in Division I in WHIP (0.81) and ninth in saves. Privette recorded 77 strikeouts with only 15 walks over 57.0 innings, and didn’t allow a run in 17 of his 23 appearances. Privette is Charleston’s first CAA Pitcher of the Year since 2015. 

Sorrentino started 52 games and excelled as Charleston’s leadoff hitter, batting .292 and ranking second in the CAA with 45 runs scored. The Cougars’ outfielder contributed eight doubles, four triples and 31 RBI’s, and also stole 13 bases. Sorrentino is Charleston’s first CAA Rookie of the Year since 2014.

Sprague went 5-3 on the mound for Elon and ranked second in the CAA and 11th in the nation with a 1.77 ERA. The left-hander limited opponents to a .213 batting average and played a part in three Phoenix shutouts. He tallied 39 strikeouts and walked only 11 in 56.0 innings of work. Sprague is Elon’s third CAA Rookie of the Year since 2017.

Williamson was sensational defensively for William & Mary, posting a .975 fielding percentage while playing the majority of his games at shortstop after moving from third base. The junior committed just four errors in 161 chances and topped the Tribe with 108 assists. It’s the second consecutive season that W&M has had the Defensive Player of the Year.

Holbrook received CAA Coach of the Year accolades for the first time after guiding Charleston to a 36-17 overall record. The Cougars captured the CAA regular-season title for the first time since 2015 after posting a 19-5 mark, which included sweeps in five of their eight conference series. Charleston also recorded significant non-conference victories over Texas, Clemson and East Carolina.

UNCW placed a league-high four players on the All-CAA first team as Baldwin was joined by junior infielder Taber Mongero, graduate student outfielder Ethan Baucom and freshman pitcher RJ Sales. Three other teams had three players recognized on the first team. Privette was joined by Charleston junior catcher JT Marr and junior pitcher Ty Good. Hofstra was represented by senior outfielder Brian Morrell, senior pitcher Brad Camarda and sophomore reliever Michael O’Hanlon. Selected from William & Mary were Williamson, senior infielder Cole Ragone and senior outfielder Matt Thomas

Rounding out the first team were Sprague and sophomore outfielder Alex Iadisernia from Elon, junior utility player Travis Reifsnider and freshman designated hitter Ryan Dooley from James Madison, and Delaware sophomore infielder Joey Loynd.

The 2022 CAA Baseball Championship gets underway on Wednesday from Elon’s Latham Park in Elon, N.C.  Six teams will battle for the league title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament in the double-elimination event.

2022 ALL-CAA BASEBALL TEAM

(selected by CAA Head Baseball Coaches)

FIRST TEAM

Player, School                                           Pos.      Cl.       Hometown/High School

JT Marr, Charleston                                 C            Jr.        Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill
Brooks Baldwin, UNCW                          IF           Jr.        Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville
Joey Loynd, Delaware                             IF           So.       Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks South
Taber Mongero, UNCW                          IF           Jr.        St. Simons Island, Ga./North Hall
Cole Ragone, William & Mary               IF           Sr.       Richmond, Va./Collegiate
Ben Williamson, William & Mary          IF           Jr.        Chantilly, Va./Freedom
Ethan Baucom, UNCW                            OF         Gr.       Rockingham, N.C./Richmond Senior
Alex Iadisernia, Elon                                OF         So.       Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial
Brian Morrell, Hofstra                             OF         Sr.       Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading
Matt Thomas, William & Mary              OF         Sr.       Lovettsville, Va./Lake Braddock
Travis Reifsnider, James Madison         UT         Jr.        Richmond, Va./Collegiate
Ryan Dooley, James Madison                DH         Fr.       Reston, Va./South Lakes
Brad Camarda, Hofstra                           SP          Sr.       Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West
Ty Good, Charleston                                SP          Jr.        Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe
RJ Sales, UNCW                                        SP          Fr.       Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest
Shea Sprague, Elon                                  SP          Fr.       Hanover, Mass./Boston College HS
Michael O’Hanlon, Hofstra                    RP         So.       Glendale, N.Y./Xavierian
William Privette, Charleston                  RP         So.       Chapin, S.C./Chapin

2022 BILL BROOKS CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brooks Baldwin, 2B, UNCW

2022 CAA PITCHER OF THE YEAR: William Privette, RHP, Charleston

2022 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Ben Williamson, SS/3B, William & Mary

2022 CAA CO-ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:  Tyler Sorrentino, OF, Charleston and Shea Sprague, LHP, Elon

2022 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR:  Chad Holbrook, Charleston

SECOND TEAM

Player, School                                           Pos.      Cl.       Hometown/High School

Kevin Bruggeman, Hofstra                     C            Jr.        Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull
Joseph Carpenter, Delaware                 IF           Jr.        Cornwall, Pa./Cedar Crest
Trevon Dabney, James Madison           IF           Jr.        Douglassville, Pa./Berks Catholic
Cam Dean, Charleston                            IF           Sr.       Surfside Beach, S.C./St. James
Jack McLaughlin, Towson                       IF           Sr.       Golden, Colo./Golden
Kyle Novak, James Madison                   IF           Jr.        Oakton, Va./James Madison
Joseph Mershon, Charleston                 IF           Jr.        Taylors, S.C./Eastside
Sam Cochrane, Charleston                     OF         Gr.       Ocala, Fla./Belleview
Chase DeLauter, James Madison          OF         So.       Martinsburg, W.Va./Hedgesville
Trotter Harlan, Charleston                     OF         Jr.        Fountain Inn, S.C./Hillcrest
Tyler Sorrentino, Charleston                 OF         Fr.       West Essex, N.J./West Essex
Jack Cone, William & Mary                    UT         Sr.       Fairfax Station, Va./South County
Chris Thorburn, UNCW                           DH         Jr.        Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons
Brian Edgington, Elon                              SP          Sr.       Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham
Liam McDonnell, James Madison         SP          Sr.       Oak Hill, Va./Paul VI
Wyatt Scotti, Northeastern                    SP          So.       Barnstable, Mass./St. Mark’s
Carter Lovasz, William & Mary              RP         Fr.       Midlothian, Va./Midlothian                            
Ben Simon, Elon                                       RP         So.       East Windsor, N.J./Hightstown

HONORABLE MENTION: 

Matt Suggs, C, UNCW; JJ Freeman, IF, Delaware; Ryan Morash, IF, Hofstra; Joe Delossantos, OF, William & Mary; Elijah Dickerson, OF, Towson; Dominic Ragazzo, OF, Delaware; Jake Liberatore, UT, Hofstra; Luke Stephenson, DH, Elon; Eric Yost, SP, Northeastern; Jordy Allard, RP, Northeastern; Hunter Hodges, RP, UNCW; Reed Parris, RP, Charleston

CAA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Player, School                                           Pos.      Cl.       Hometown/High School

Daniel Brooks Charleston                       SP          Fr.       Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Bishop England
Ryan Dooley, James Madison                DH         Fr.       Reston, Va./South Lakes
Charlie Granatell, Elon                            OF         Fr.       Franklin Lakes, N.J./Don Bosco Prep
Carter Lovasz, William & Mary              RP         Fr.       Midlothian, Va./Midlothian
Cyle Phelan, UNCW                                 SP          Fr.       Fuquay-Varina, N.C./Fuquay-Varina
RJ Sales, UNCW                                        SP          Fr.       Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest
Mike Sirota, Northeastern                     OF         Fr.       Broad Channel, N.Y./The Gunnery
Tyler Sorrentino, Charleston                 OF         Fr.       West Essex, N.J./West Essex
Shea Sprague, Elon                                  SP          Fr.       Hanover, Mass./Boston College HS
Fenwick Trimble, James Madison         OF         Fr.       Virginia Beach, Va./Cox