Natural State Baseball is pleased to announce its 2023 All-Arkansas Collegiate Team and Awards.

South Arkansas Community College is the 2023 Team of the Year. In just their second season in program history, the Stars advanced to the NJACC DII World Series and were Plains District Champions after going 47-18 overall and 30-7 in conference play. At the NJACC World Series in Enid, Oklahoma, the Stars went 2-2. In May, SouthArk beat top-ranked LSU-Eunice, ending a 39-game win streak for the Bengals.

Cannon Lester, head coach of South Arkansas, is the Natural State Baseball Coach of the Year. Lester was named the Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year. Hired in 2021 to lead the new program at SouthArk, Lester had previously been the head coach of El Dorado High School’s baseball program and was an assistant coach at Southern Arkansas University from 2011-2014. Lester was a three time All-Arkansas selection during his playing days at Southern Arkansas, including the very first team in 2008 and Player of the Year in 2010.

The NSB Player of the Year is Trace Shoup of the SouthArk Stars. The sophomore second baseman from El Dorado was the NJACC DII Region-2 Player of the Week three times this season. Shoup batted .378 with 22 doubles, 6 triples, and 16 home runs. He drove in an eye-popping 85 runs, scored 74 more, and was 25-26 in stolen base attempts. He holds records in nearly every offensive category for the young SouthArk program. Shoup was also named to the 2022 NSB All-Arkansas team.

The NSB Pitcher of the Year is Jackson Wells of Little Rock. The Trojans starter posted a 1.65 ERA in 15 games and struck out 80 in 93 innings. Opponents batted just .216 against the right-hander from Rogers.

Brett Foss of SouthArk is the Freshman of the Year. The right-handed pitcher was 8-1 on the mound for the Stars, with a 3.16 ERA in 15 games. He tossed four complete games and struck out 72 in 68.1 innings.

Jaden Woolbright of SAU Tech is the winner of The Natural Award, given each year by Natural State Baseball to an outstanding collegiate baseball player from the state of Arkansas. Woolbright, of Benton, hit .466 with 17 doubles and 10 home runs for the Rockets this season.

Brandon Nicoll is the All-Arkansas third baseman for the second straight year and Dustin Bermudez is just the second player to make the All-Arkansas team as a hitter and pitcher in the same year.

All-Arkansas Team

Catcher – Michael Quinones, Ouachita Baptist (.346, 18 doubles, 11 home runs)
First – Brandon Hager, Arkansas State (.348, 11 doubles, 15 home runs)
Second – Trace Shoup, SouthArk (.378, 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 85 RBI)
Third – Brandon Nicoll, Southern Arkansas (.355, 20 doubles, 11 home runs)
Shortstop – Dustin Bermudez, Ouachita Baptist (.308, 15 doubles,12 home runs)
Left Field – Gabe Walker, Central Baptist (.408, 17 doubles, 9 home runs)
Center Field – Tyler Williams, Little Rock (.363, 27 extra base hits, 23 stolen bases)
Right Field – Roc Hawthorne, SouthArk (.344, 31 extra base hits, 81 runs scored)
Designated Hitter – Jaden Woolbright, SAU Tech (.466, 17 doubles, 10 home runs)

Starting Pitcher – Jackson Wells, Little Rock (7-4, 1.65 ERA)
Starting Pitcher – Mason Philley, UAM (8-5, 3.71 ERA, 127 strikeouts)
Starting Pitcher – Jeremy Adorno, SAU (8-4, 4.20 ERA, 123 strikeouts)
Relief Pitcher – Isaiah Haynes, SAU (13 saves, 1.65 ERA)
Relief Pitcher – Dustin Bermudez, Ouachita Baptist (10 saves, 45 strikeouts)
Pitcher – Hagan Smith, Arkansas (8-2, 3.64 ERA, 109 strikeouts)
Pitcher – Jesse Barker, UCA (7-4, 3.00 ERA, 109 strikeouts)

Player of the Year – Trace Shoup, SouthArk
Pitcher of the Year – Jackson Wells, Little Rock
The Natural – Jaden Woolbright, SAU Tech
Freshman of the Year – Brett Foss, SouthArk
Coach of the Year – Cannon Lester, SouthArk
Team of the Year – SouthArk Community College Stars

Honorable mention:

Jace Bohrofen (Arkansas); Hunter Hollan (Arkansas); Jared Wegner (Arkansas); Chase Cripps (Arkansas Monticello); Kirk Woolf (Arkansas Monticello); Casey Shipley (Arkansas Rich Mountain); Cooper White (Arkansas Rich Mountain); Kyler Carmack (Arkansas State); Wil French (Arkansas State); Breck Burris (ASU – Mountain Home); Samuel Lemond (ASU – Mountain Home); Mason Griffin (Arkansas Tech); Nick Jones (Arkansas Tech); Sawyer Duddleston (Arkansas Tech); Keaton Ranallo (Arkansas Tech); Sam Stephenson (Arkansas Tech); Nick Aide (Central Baptist); Corbett Seib (Crowley’s Ridge); Doyle Coulton (Harding); Jay Merritt (Harding); Henry Coppens (Henderson State); Luke Rice (Henderson State); Greyson Stevens (Henderson State); Andrei Stoyanow (Hendrix); Nico Baumbach (Little Rock); Preston Davis (Little Rock); Luke Pectol (Little Rock); Austin Stubber (Little Rock); Max Bates (North Ark); Dylan Carrell (North Ark); Evan Gaunt (North Ark); Anthony Soria (North Ark); Cameron Tyson (National Park); G Allen (Ouachita Baptist); Teddy Webb (Ouachita Baptist); Mitchell Brown (Philander Smith); Jacob Ambriz (SouthArk); Trey Miller (SouthArk); Elijah Nichols (SouthArk); Ryan Riggs (SouthArk); Mikel Howell (Southern Arkansas); Brett McGee (Southern Arkansas); Riley Orr (Southern Arkansas); Will Richardson (Southern Arkansas); Cooper McDaniel (SAU Tech); Dezmond Cordova (Williams Baptist)