JSU baseball: Gamecocks' Reeves, Causey made Perfect Game's preseason All-ASUN team

The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Jan. 24—Two Jacksonville State baseball players landed on Perfect Game's preseason All-ASUN Conference picks.

Perfect Game, a baseball recruiting and prospect service, named Jacksonville State's T.J. Reeves and AJ Causey to its preseason listing. Reeves, a senior outfielder, was named as one of the three outfielders, while Causey was tabbed as one of the two starting pitchers.

Reeves was selected to the All-ASUN second team a year ago, and Causey made the ASUN's all-freshman team.

Reeves, who spent three seasons at Alabama before joining the JSU program in time for the 2022 season, ranked second on the team in hitting with a .317 batting average after collecting a team-best 65 hits. Reeves registered 14 doubles, eight home runs and a triple. He shared the team lead in runs scored and delivered 30 RBIs. Defensively, Reeves shined in centerfield with 103 chances and fielded at a .990 percentage. In the 29 ASUN games, he finished with a .348 clip at the plate, with 15 of his 23 extra base hits coming against conference pitching.

Causey, a dual player for Jax State as a relief pitcher and infielder, once again will see action on the mound and at first base when he is not pitching. The right-hander led the JSU pitchers with 25 appearances on the mound, including a lone start in the regular-season finale at Bellarmine with a bid to the 2022 ASUN tournament on the line. In 2022, he served as the Gamecocks' closer as he accumulated nine saves in 48 1/3 innings of work. He also posted four wins in relief a season ago. Causey recorded 58 strikeouts in his first season at JSU and allowed 14 earned runs in 2022. He finished with a 2.61 ERA while opposing batters hit just .211 against him.

Causey posted a .250 batting average in 10 games last season with three of his seven hits on the season being doubles. He also drove in seven runs as a freshman, who was in the lineup in the designated hitters spot or at first base in 2022.

The Gamecocks open the 2023 season with a weekend series in Athens, Ga., against the Georgia Bulldogs, beginning Feb. 17. Jax State will open its 30-game home schedule the following weekend, hosting Southern Illinois in a series that starts Feb. 24.