A-SUN RELEASE | ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS (PDF)
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – Several members of the Kennesaw State baseball team earned postseason honors as the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its annual All-Conference and All-Freshmen teams on Tuesday, May 19.

Junior pitchers Travis Bergen and Jordan Hillyer were named A-Sun First Team All-Conference selections, while junior shortstop Kal Simmons, sophomore Chris Erwin and redshirt-freshman Taylor Allum tabbed Second Team All-Conference honors. In addition, Allum and freshman classmate Grant Williams were named to the 13-man All-Freshmen Team, announced by the league office.

"Anytime you are recognized by the conference for excelling in your sport is a great accomplishment," head coach Mike Sansing said. "For all the guys to be honored as one the top players in the Atlantic Sun Conference is a great accomplishment. I am very happy for them."

Bergen was one of the main catalyst for the Owls' weekend rotation. The lefthander posted impressive numbers throughout the entire 2015 season, compiling a 6-3 overall record on the hill. Bergen ranked sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 2.87 ERA and ranked second in the conference with 82 strikeouts. Just one of two KSU pitchers to make 13 starts on the mound, Bergen held opponents to an impressive .229 average while issuing just 27 walks in a conference-leading 94.0 innings on the hill.

Hillyer, a junior right-handed pitcher who hails from Dacula, Georgia, served as Kennesaw State's Friday night pitcher for the entire season. He ranked third in the conference in ERA (2.28) and finished tied for first with 91 strikeouts. He tossed four complete games to lead the A-Sun and held his opponents to an impressive .212 average. In addition, Hillyer worked 87.0 innings on the mound, which ranked second on the KSU's roster and third in the conference in total innings.

"Those two anchored the rotation this year for us and has been very impressive. They have made all their starts and showed durability and commitment, not only on the field but off the field with their dedication to the weight room and conditioning," Sansing said. "Both pitchers have thrown extremely well this year and have consistently gone deep into a game. You couldn't ask for anything more out of those two and they are very deserving to get rewarded."

Simmons played in 53 of the possible 54 games at shortstop, batting .273 while compiling 56 hits on his way to being tabbed a Second Team All-Conference selection. He totaled seven doubles and an A-Sun second-best 10 home runs while slugging .454 for the Owls. The junior from Nashville, Georgia knocked in 35 RBI, which was second best on the roster.

"Kal [Simmons] continued to build off an excellent 2014 season. His growth as a player on and off the field is very rewarding and it's exciting to see him get honored once again," Sansing said.

Erwin, a two-way player for head coach Mike Sansing and the Owls, played an extremely important role for KSU's success this season and was also named to the Second Team All-Conference. Erwin led the Owls in multiple offensive categories at the plate, leading the team with a .333 batting average, knocking out a team-best 64 hits. Erwin also paced Kennesaw State's offense with doubles (12), triples (2) and RBI (36) for a team-best .495 slugging percentage.

"Chris Erwin was projected to pitch more than play a position in the field, but he showed durability and commitment. He is very athletic and a true two-way guy," Sansing said. "He is one of the few guys I've ever had that's been able to handle both pitching and hitting at the level he has achieved this season."

Allum played in 39 of the 54 possible games while making 33 starts to round out the Second Team All-Conference selections and also was part of the 13-man All-Freshmen A-Sun selections. The redshirt-freshman play extremely well over the course of the 54-game slate, the outfielder raised his level of play in A-Sun play in 19 games. Allum batted an incredible .415 while compiling 27 hits, five doubles, one home run and 10 RBI in conference action. For the season, Allum ranked second on the team with a .320 batting average, while totaling 39 hits, eight doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI.

"It is a great honor to see Taylor [Allum] get rewarded with such strong play throughout the season. He made a great impact offensively and defensively in the Owls' lineup," Sansing said. "He really excelled his play in conference action and was a key player for us."

Williams served as one of the catalyst's in Kennesaw State's everyday lineup both offensively and defensively, helping him being selected to the All-Freshmen Team. The true freshman from Atlanta, Georgia, ranked third on the team with a .302 batting average, compiling 48 hits --which ranked fifth on the team--, four doubles, and one home run and knocked in 23 RBI in 44 games for KSU. Not only did his bat make a difference for KSU, but his stellar defensive play at second base was a key for the Owls' success in 2015. Williams was perfect at second base in A-Sun play, compiling a 1.000 fielding percentage with no errors, totaling 48 assists and 38 putouts.
 
"To come in and play like he has, it has been very impressive. He handled numerous spots in the lineup and has been able to hit consistently," Sansing said. "He's been very successful and played an outstanding defense in the middle. The impact he made on the team was very positive."

Kennesaw State will turn back around and take on North Florida in the opening round of the 2015 Atlantic Sun Tournament at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20 in Fort Myers, Florida. The Owls (28-26, 10-10) will enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed, while UNF (42-14, 16-5) will enter the week as the No. 1 seed. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3 at Swanson Stadium. For more tournament information, visit atlanticsun.org or KSUOwls.com for more details.

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