LAKELAND, Fla. – Two Lee University baseball players were named to the D2CCA Baseball All-South Region Second Team on Wednesday afternoon. Freshman Malachi Cloud was named to the Second Team as an outfielder, and sophomore Riley Black was named to the second team as the designated hitter. Cloud was previously named to the Gulf South Conference First team while Black was on the second team.
Malachi Cloud had a strong year as a freshman. He hit .400 this season going 42-for-110 from the plate. Of his 44 hits, ten were home runs and nine were doubles. He had 31 runs batted in He is slugged a team best .755 His on-base percentage was at .489. He was 29-for-31 in stolen base attempts. He has also scored 42 runs. He has a walkoff home run to beat Montevallo, and a walkoff on a wild pitch to beat Union. He was named freshman of the week three times this season.
Black was strong at the plate this season hitting .322. He was 48-for-149 from the plate. He had 37 RBI, and 30 runs scored. 19 of his hits were for extra bases and was walked 17 times. He was 7-for-8 in stolen bases. His slugging percentage was at .592 this year.
Montevallo's Sam Kuchinski and West Florida's Dalton Neuschwander lead the 2023 D2CCA Baseball All-South Region First Team. They were named South Region Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively, as selected by the region sports information directors.
Joining Kuchinski and Neuschwander on the first team is Florida Southern's Drew Cavanaugh (C); Tampa's Drew Ehrhard (1B), J.D. Urso (SS), Jordan Lala (OF), E.J. Cumbo (OF), and Alex Canney (SP); Montevallo's Reed Latimer (2B) and Sam Kuchinski (3B); West Georgia's Anthony Calabro (OF); Valdosta State's JP Gates (DH & Utility); Shorter's Tanner Folds (SP); Alabama Huntsville's Landon Ezzell (UT-NP) and Will Hotalen (RP).
Representing the second team is West Florida's Mike Scordo (C). Darrien McDowell (1B), True Fontenot (2B), Trent Jeffcoat (SS), and Kade Maderscheid (SP); Barry's Jake Ogden (3B) and Mike Reagan (SP); Florida Southern's Rohsean Riley (3B); Lee's Malachi Cloud (OF) and Riley Black (DH); Rollins' Parker Smith (OF); Montevallo's Asa Awbrey (OF); Lynn's Drew Dwyer (SP); Savannah State's Enrico Peele (SP); Eckerd's Tyler Cox (UT-P); and Tampa's Drew Ehrhard (UT-NP) and Dalton Ross (RP).
All 16 first-team All-Region selections will now be placed on the national ballot for All-America consideration. The All-America teams are scheduled to be released on Thursday, June 1. The complete D2CCA All-South Region teams can be found on the following page.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies, and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and work closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
