FOREST, Va. --- Randolph-Macon College earned seven all-conference assignments while the University of Lynchburg commanded three special individual laurels and joined Shenandoah University with six all-league honors each to highlight the 2021 All-ODAC Baseball Awards.
Shenandoah second baseman Colby Martin garnered ODAC Player of the Year recognition, while Lynchburg starter Brandon Pond took home the ODAC Pitcher of the Year plaque. Lynchburg mentor Lucas Jones picked up ODAC Coach of the Year status, while his third baseman, Gavin Collins, was tabbed the ODAC Rookie of the Year. Ferrum College outfielder Josh Greenway received the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award from the conference's athletic communications personnel.
A lot has changed since the last time a baseball all-conference team was produced in 2019. That includes the players that comprise its ranks with just six standouts from that season's list appearing on the 2021 edition. Greenway, an All-ODAC First Team pick this season, was an All-ODAC Second Team selection in 2019. Lynchburg pitcher and outfielder Kinston Carson joins Greenway on this year's first team after an All-ODAC Third Team appointment in 2019.
Among those on the 2021 second team are Roanoke College catcher Gavin Kandrick and Shenandoah first baseman and all-time homerun king Keegan Woolford. They were both third team choices in 2019. Randolph-Macon College third baseman Mike Nickles -- the 2019 ODAC Player of the Year -- and Eastern Mennonite University outfielder Jordan Jones appear on this year's third team. Nickles was a first teamer in 2019, while Jones was a second team selection.
RELATED: 2019 All-ODAC Teams | All-Time All-ODAC
Martin, a sophomore from Lititz, Pa., has put together a stellar first season in the ODAC after transferring from Messiah College. Martin leads the ODAC in batting (.479), on-base percentage (.545), and slugging (.808) while also topping the charts in hits (70) and stolen bases (22). He tied for first in runs (53), triples (7), and total bases (118), is third in doubles (13) and RBI (50), and fourth in homers (7). The Hornets second baseman, who has also been used as a late-inning reliever with three saves in seven appearances, has reached base via hit or walk in 36-of-37 games played and hit safely in 34 of those contests. He has registered 24 multi-hit games, including each of the past seven games -- with three hits each in the last four outings -- as Shenandoah prepares to host Eastern Mennonite University in an ODAC semifinal series. Nationally, Martin leads Division III in hits, is tied for second in triples, tied for fourth in total bases, tied for fifth in runs, and 11th in RBI.
Pond, a junior from Chesterfield, Va., has put together a banner campaign in 12 starts, the third-most in NCAA Division III. Pond is 7-3 on the season wtih a 2.40 earned run average over 75.0 innings of work, the most in the ODAC. His record includes a 5-1 run against conference foes. Pond has struck out a league-best 81 batters and walked only nine. His strikeout total ranks eighth in the country. Teams are hitting just .222 against him after giving up 61 hits overall. In league play, those numbers improve to a .204 opponents batting average and 37 hits allowed in 51.0 innings. Pond fanned a season-high 11 batters in his first outing of the year at Greensboro. He added a second double-digit punchout game with 10 Ks in a win over Guilford in late April.
Jones is in his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater. This is the second time he has been honored with ODAC top coaching laurels, joining the award he earned as Washington and Lee University's head coach in 2016. Lynchburg is 30-11 overall as it prepares to host an ODAC semifinal series against Bridgewater College this weekend. The 30 victories are the most for the Hornets since going 34-10 in 2012 and leading the ODAC standings at 14-4. Lynchburg went 18-4 in league play this season, tying Randolph-Macon for the top spot in the league. Entering the weekend, Jones owns a 130-89 (.594) career record including 76-61 (.555) at Lynchburg.
Collins, a first-year from Clifton, Va., is in the midst of a strong first season in the Hill City. Collins is hitting .308 with a .443 OBP and a .468 SLG%. While he has knocked 37 hits and walked 15 times, his OBP has been elevated via a painful statistic as he leads the league in being hit by pitch at 18. He is fifth in the ODAC in doubles (10) and triples (3) to go with 27 RBI. Collins has produced 10 multi-hit games including a 4-for-5 effort with two RBI in a win at Roanoke in mid-March.
Greenway, a senior from Roanoke, Va., has flourished on and off the field in his time as a Panther. In the classroom, Greenway appears on the Ferrum College Presidents List in all semesters with a 4.0 grade point average as a pre-professional health major in physical therapy with minors in coaching and psychology. He is slated to begin his first classes in Radford University's Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program later this month. The four-time All-ODAC Academic Team honoree won the American Chemical Society Student Affiliate Award in 2018 and was named Academic All-State in 2019 and 2020. Greenway has certifications in human kinetics coaching and American Heart Association basic life support (BLS). He has helped raise money for Vs. Cancer Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Feeding American, and helped conduct an on-campus blood drive in 2019.
On the field, Greenway is now a two-time All-ODAC outfielder as he pairs this honor with a first team spot this season and a second team appointment in 2019. He hit .345 (41-of-119) this season with a .441 OBP and a .521 SLG%. He finished eighth in the league with nine doubles and fifth with three triples to go with a pair of homers and 29 RBI. He earned 23 free trips to first base via 10 walks and 13 HBP, the second-most in the ODAC. Greenway hit safely in 25-of-30 games played with nine multi-hit efforts including four three-hit games.
Listed below is the full set of All-ODAC Baseball Awards. For more information, visit the websites of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.
2021 ALL-ODAC BASEBALL AWARDS
ODAC Player of the Year: Colby Martin, So., 2B, Shenandoah
ODAC Pitcher of the Year: Brandon Pond, Jr., SP, Lynchburg
ODAC Coach of the Year: Lucas Jones, Lynchburg
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Gavin Collins, Fy., 3B, Lynchburg
ODAC/Va. Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete: Josh Greenway, Sr., OF, Ferrum
ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM | |||
Brandon Pond | Jr. | SP | University of Lynchburg |
Matt Nickles | Sr. | SP | Randolph-Macon College |
Grayson Thurman | Sr. | RP | University of Lynchburg |
Jacob Selden | Sr. | C | Randolph-Macon College |
Reece Yeargain | Sr. | 1B | Randolph-Macon College |
Colby Martin | So. | 2B | Shenandoah University |
Pearce Bucher | So. | 3B | Shenandoah University |
Frankie Ritter | So. | SS | Shenandoah University |
Jaylon Lee | Sr. | OF | Eastern Mennonite University |
Josh Greenway^ | Sr. | OF | Ferrum College |
Avery Neaves | So. | OF | University of Lynchburg |
Carter Plunkett | So. | DH | Roanoke College |
Kinston Carson+ | Gr. | UT | University of Lynchburg |
ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM | |||
Zack Potts | So. | SP | University of Lynchburg |
Robert Cook | Jr. | SP | Virginia Wesleyan University |
Will Turner | So. | RP | Roanoke College |
Gavin Kandrick+ | Sr. | C | Roanoke College |
Keegan Woolford+ | Sr. | 1B | Shenandoah University |
Chapin Bassi | Jr. | 2B | Washington and Lee University |
Ryan Clawson | Sr. | 3B | Hampden-Sydney College |
Brett Lindsay | Sr. | SS | Eastern Mennonite University |
Jarrett Biesecker | Jr. | OF | Bridgewater College |
Jared Foley | Fy. | OF | Emory & Henry College |
Ethan Iannuzzi | So. | OF | Randolph-Macon College |
Chandler Kezele | Sr. | DH | Emory & Henry College |
Zach Perkins | So. | UT | Washington and Lee University |
ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM | |||
Hayden Snelsire | So. | SP | Randolph-Macon College |
Tad Dean | So. | SP | Shenandoah University |
William Flanagan | So. | RP | Bridgewater College |
Matt Sinko | So. | C | Virginia Wesleyan University |
Trey Karnes | Jr. | 1B | Hampden-Sydney College |
Ozzie Torres | So. | 2B | Ferrum College |
Mike Nickles* | Sr. | 3B | Randolph-Macon College |
Ryan Long | Fy. | SS | University of Lynchburg |
Jordan Jones^ | Jr. | OF | Eastern Mennonite University |
Max Lipscomb | Jr. | OF | Hampden-Sydney College |
Grant Thompson | Sr. | OF | Shenandoah University |
Kevin Mooney | Sr. | DH | Randolph-Macon College |
John Judy | Sr. | UT | Eastern Mennonite University |
* 2019 All-ODAC 1st Team ^ 2019 All-ODAC 2nd Team + 2019 All-ODAC 3rd Team |