Georgia Southern Extra: Austin Thompson one of the top defensive shortstops in the nation
Austin Thompson's value for the Georgia Southern baseball team could be measured many ways.
He returned for a fifth season in 2022 and was a team leader this spring, a model of composure and steady play.
He was the only player to start all 61 games this season for the 41-20 Eagles, who nearly won the Sun Belt tournament after 23-7 conference mark, then hosted an NCAA regional as the 16th seed in the country.
Thompson was one of three finalists for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award as best defensive shortstop in college baseball.
He was a big reason for the Eagles' defensive success this season, helping lead a team that finished eighth nationally in fielding percentage at .982.
Thompson had a fielding percentage on .980 with 70 putouts and five errors in 249 chances, and led the Eagles in put-out assists with 174. His 174 assists ranked second in the Sun Belt.
The South Effingham High School graduate was involved in 32 of the 45 total double plays that the Eagles turned this season.
The winners at each position were announced Wednesday.
The winner at shortstop was Kentucky junior Ryan Ritter, who has a .972 career fielding percentage in 431 chances. According to Kentucky statistics, he finished the 2022 season with a .973 fielding percentage with six errors in 226 chances.
The other finalist, junior Adam Crampton of Stanford, had a .980 fielding percentage with five errors in 250 chances.
MORE BASEBALL
Honors piling up for Ledford
Georgia Southern's Noah Ledford was selected for the ABCA/Rawlings All-America second team, announced June 17 by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
A redshirt junior infielder and designated hitter, Ledford earned the honor after posting numbers in the Sun Belt Conference's top five in most major offensive categories, including OPS (fifth), hits (fifth), doubles (second), home runs (third) and slugging percentage (fifth), and led the SBC in RBI with 70.
In addition to leading the Eagles in all of these categories, the 6-foot-1, 252-pounder also was tied for first in hits with 79 hits. Ledford's season ended with him posting career-highs in every offensive category save for triples.
This marks the second All-American honor that Ledford has received this season. Ledford also was named to the third team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
This is the second consecutive year the Eagles have had All-Americans from both the ABCA and NCBWA. In 2021, Nick Jones and Mason McWhorter were named All-Americans from those organizations.
For the 2022 season, Ledford also was selected first team in the ABCA All-Southeast Region, first team All-Sun Belt and to the NCAA Statesboro Regional All-Tournament Team.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Highly decorated David Neville to head programs
Olympic gold medalist David Neville has been hired as head coach of the Georgia Southern women's track and field and cross country programs.
Neville comes to Statesboro from Tennessee, where he spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach for sprints, hurdles and relays. He replaces Kelly Carter. who stepped down May 16, the athletics department had announced.
"I am very excited to have David, his wife Arial, his daughter Acaia, and his son David join our Georgia Southern family," Director of Athletics Jared Benko said in a press release. "David comes highly recommended from some of the elite track and field coaches in the country. David's experience at Tennessee over the past five seasons, coupled with three years as a head coach at Taylor University, uniquely qualifies him to succeed in this role.
"Individually, David was an elite athlete and experienced a lot of success as both a collegiate and professional athlete. It is through these experiences that he will position all of our track and field student-athletes for success. The best days of Georgia Southern track and field and cross country programs are ahead!"
Neville guided Tennessee athletes to 48 All-America honors and eight program records across sprints, hurdles and relays.
Neville said he feels extremely blessed and honored to be the new head coach at GS.
"I would like to thank Jared Benko for seeing my passion and giving me an opportunity to build something special in Statesboro," Neville said in the press release.
"The vision that he has for this program is exciting and invigorating, and I am eager to begin working with him and the wonderful staff. Working for a department that is driven to cultivate excellence and champions both on and off the track completely aligns with my purpose when working with student-athletes, and that's why I am proud to be an Eagle. Hail Southern!"
Prior to his arrival in Knoxville, Neville served for three seasons as head coach of the track and field program at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He produced 106 NAIA indoor and outdoor national championship qualifiers, while the Trojans broke 30 school records and earned 30 NAIA All-American honors.
A native of Merrillville, Indiana, Neville enjoyed a distinguished professional track a career that was highlighted by a gold medal for the United States in the men's 4x400 and a bronze in the men's 400 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Neville also won gold in the 400 at the 2008 Indoor USA Championships and earned bronze in the 400 at the 2006 USA Championships and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Neville was a six-time Big Ten champion and five-time NCAA All-American at Indiana University from 2004-06. He set program records for the 200, 400, 4x400 and distance medley relay and was named the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
FOOTBALL
Wesley Kennedy in the transfer portal
Former Georgia Southern running back, slotback and punt returner Wesley Kennedy III of Savannah has entered the transfer portal, multiple websites reported June 20.
The standout had not played since the 2020 season, when he participated in and started eight games. He saw action on 306 total snaps (248 on offense, 58 on special teams), carried the ball 66 times for 447 yards and six touchdowns and made eight catches for 163 yards.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder was a team leader in all-purpose yards and All-Sun Belt Conference honorable mention in 2018 and 2019, and a second-team performer in 2018, according to Southern Pigskin and Pro Football Focus.
He was having an impactful senior season when he was suspended from the team in November 2020 following his arrest by the Statesboro Police Department on drug-related charges and did not return to the team.
A football star at Benedictine Military School, Kennedy was the 2016 Savannah Morning News Football Player of the Year and the Finocchiaro Award winner as Chatham County's top player, among numerous local, region and state honors.
WOMEN'S RIFLE
Eagles add Burrow to team
Addy Burrow has transferred to Georgia Southern from N.C. State, where she shot three seasons for the Wolfpack.
Last season, Burrow competed in all 11 matches for N.C. State and finished the season averaging 579.429 (smallbore), 590.727 (air rifle) and 1170.156 (aggregate). She led the team in air rifle and aggregate average while finishing second on the team in smallbore average. She tallied a career-high 597 air rifle score against Alaska, a score is tied for the second-best output in program history.
For her career, she averages 579.115 in smallbore, 588.933 in air rifle and 1,164.385 aggregate.
A native of Williamson, Georgia, Burrow will be a senior but has two years of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA's COVID-19 season being given back. She graduated from N.C. State in three years with a degree in art studies with a minor in entrepreneurship.
MEN'S SOCCER
UCF joining as affiliate in 2023
The Sun Belt will sponsor men's soccer again this year after a one-year hiatus. The Sun Belt will be composed of Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall and Old Dominion as core members, and affiliate members Kentucky, South Carolina and West Virginia.
Georgia Southern's first game in the new SBC is scheduled for Sept. 17 against Old Dominion at Eagle Field.
UCF will join the SBC as an affiliate member for men's soccer beginning fall 2023, the conference announced Tuesday.
UCF is moving to the Big 12 in 2023, so its soccer program needed a new home as the conference does not sponsor men's soccer. The school and the SBC agreed to have the Knights as an affiliate member to the conference beginning in 2023, when their conference move happens.
"We are thrilled to add UCF to what is certain to become one of the nation's premier men's soccer conferences," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill in a press release. "We look forward to a bright future for men's soccer in the Sun Belt."
Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern baseball, football, air rifle, track and field news
