NEW ORLEANS – Four Sun Belt teams will participate in Bowl Season following a historic 2021 campaign that saw three team accumulate double-digit wins during the regular season for the first time in conference history. 
 
Coastal Carolina (10-2, 6-2 Sun Belt) is headed to the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl for its second-ever bowl appearance and will be in search of its first-ever bowl victory. The Chanticleers will square off against MAC champion Northern Illinois (9-4, 6-2 MAC) at 5:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 17, in Orlando, Fla., with the game being nationally broadcast on ESPN2. 
 
App State (10-3, 7-1 Sun Belt) will make its seventh-straight bowl appearance and will attempt to make it seven-straight bowl victories in the RoofClaim.com

Louisiana (12-1, 8-0 Sun Belt), which defeated App State, 24-16, in Saturday’s Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game, is bound for its fourth-straight bowl game in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Sun Belt champion Ragin’ Cajuns will face future conference foe Marshall (7-5, 5-3 Conference USA) at 8:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 18, in New Orleans, La. 

Georgia State (7-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) will round out the Sun Belt’s postseason lineup, with its third-straight and fifth all-time bowl appearance coming in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl. The Panthers will match up against Ball State (6-6, 4-4 MAC) at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 25, in Montgomery, Ala. 

The RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and TaxAct Camellia Bowl will each be broadcast nationwide on ESPN. 

The Sun Belt has won 69 percent of its bowl games over the past five seasons—including 4-of-5 a year ago—to lead all FBS conferences.

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NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina’s Reese White and Josaiah Stewart and South Alabama’s Diego Guajardo claim Sun Belt weekly awards after propelling their teams to 2-0 starts. 

Football Offensive Player of the Week
Reese White, Coastal Carolina
(Jr., RB – Sandy Springs, Ga.)

Chanticleers junior running back Reese White rushed for a career-high 102 yards and three touchdowns in Coastal Carolina’s 49-22 victory over Kansas. The 100-yard rushing game was the first of the Sandy Springs, Ga., native’s career, while his three rushing touchdowns are the most by a Sun Belt running back in a single game this season. 

Football Defensive Player of the Week
Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina
(Fr., DL – Everett, Mass.) 

Chanticleers freshman defensive lineman Josaiah Stewart set a single-game program record with 3.5 sacks and tied the Coastal Carolina high-water mark with 3.5 tackles-for-loss. The Everett, Mass., product tallied eight total tackles to lead the Chanticleer defense that accumulated 11.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.0 sacks, a blocked punt and a blocked extra-point in a 49-22 win over Kansas.

Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Diego Guajardo, South Alabama
(So., K – Spanish Fort, Ala.) 

Jaguars sophomore kicker Diego Guajardo kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired to lift South Alabama to a 22-19 win over Bowling Green. The Spanish Fort, Ala., native also connected from 22 and 41 yards out, as part of a 10-point effort. Guajardo’s three field goals tied his career high, while his walk-off kick provided the Jaguars their first win on the final play of the game since Oct. 20, 2012. 

2021 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
Week 2 – Reese White, Coastal Carolina

2021 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Zion Williams, Troy
Week 2 – Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina

2021 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Britton Williams, Georgia Southern
Week 2 – Diego Guajardo, South Alabama

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In light of conference realignment talk throughout the country, Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill released this statement on Friday.

“The Sun Belt Conference could not have positioned itself better for this moment as the landscape shifts across conferences,” Gill said. “We have never been stronger.

“The Sun Belt is the best non-autonomy FBS conference in the country. We were the only non-A5 conference with two teams ranked in both preseason polls. We finished last year with two teams ranked in the final CFP and we’ve led the FBS in postseason winning percentage the last five years. 

“I spoke to our conference CEOs and ADs yesterday about the current realignment in a few FBS conferences and how it puts us in a more advantageous position for our programs to thrive. Throughout this process, if we identify a school that adds value to the Sun Belt, we’ll certainly consider them for membership.

“We feel very good about the quality of our schools, we take pride in who we are, and will continue to build our programs and our great conference.”

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NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference has awarded Louisiana softball outfielder Ciara Bryan and Georgia Southern baseball outfielder Mason McWhorter as the 2020-21 Sun Belt Athletes of the Year.

The Sun Belt Athlete of the Year award, which annually recognizes one female and one male student-athlete, is the highest individual honor bestowed by the Conference, based on athletic performance, academic success, outstanding leadership and character.

“The Sun Belt Conference is delighted to recognize Ciara and Mason for their amazing academic and athletic achievements. They epitomize what it means to excel,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “It’s such a pleasure to shine a spotlight on these two individuals as our Athletes of the Year.”

Bryan is the fourth Ragin’ Cajun female student-athlete to receive this honor, and she is the first softball honoree since fellow softball outfielder Aleah Creighton received the distinction in 2017. 

Following her transfer to Louisiana after four seasons at Georgia from 2017-20, Bryan powered the Ragin’ Cajuns to the 2021 Sun Belt Conference title during her lone season in Lafayette. No. 1-seeded Louisiana conceded just nine runs during the Sun Belt Conference Championship en route to the title, before posting a 3-2 mark at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. 

This super senior led the Sun Belt Conference in numerous categories, including batting average (.418), hits (87), runs scored (63), triples (4), total bases (126) and stolen bases (37). Her 87 hits ranked No. 3 nationally. Born in Covington, Georgia, she also brought home the Sun Belt’s Player and Newcomer of the Year awards, and was named an All-American by Softball America and a First Team NFCA All-Central Region selection.

McWhorter is the second Eagles student-athlete to earn this honor, following Georgia Southern golfer Steven Fisk in 2019. He is the first baseball player to earn the award since South Alabama’s Kevin Hill in 2016. 

Born in Cumming, Georgia, McWhorter completed his fifth season in Statesboro—and has started nearly every game during his five years. 

In 2021, he led the Eagles to the Sun Belt Conference Championship final and belted a home run to open the scoring in the title game. He paced the conference in batting average (.372), hits (84), home runs (18) and total bases (156).

McWhorter was named the 2021 Sun Belt Player of the Year, along with collecting multiple All-America nods.

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NEW ORLEANS — Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill announced during his annual State of the Conference on Thursday that the conference has extended its media rights deal with ESPN. The deal now runs through the 2030-31 academic year. The new agreement will result in a more than 50 percent increase in the number of Sun Belt football games that appear on ESPN’s linear offerings (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU), with 40 percent of those new opportunities being broadcast on a Saturday.  

“This new agreement is a recognition of our success and value. It will expand our reach and provide a vast amount of exposure for our members which will allow them to showcase the incredible athletic and academic accomplishments,” Gill said. “On behalf of the entire Sun Belt family, I want to thank Nick Dawson, ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, and the entire ESPN college football team for their support of the Sun Belt Conference. I am looking forward to continuing our wonderful partnership.”

“We are excited to extend our relationship with the Sun Belt and its member institutions,” Dawson said. “The Sun Belt is a valued partner and ESPN viewers have truly connected with the conference’s teams and storylines over the years. We look forward to our continued and enhanced coverage of Sun Belt football across ESPN networks and ESPN+ for many years to come.”

Since its move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level in 2001, the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) has established itself among intercollegiate athletic leagues, earning national acclaim. 2020, however, was a breakout year. The SBC led FBS with 21 non-conference wins in 2020, including a 3-0 record against Big 12 opponents. Two teams (Coastal Carolina and Louisiana) finished in the final AP Poll, Coaches Poll, and College Football Playoff Rankings.

The Sun Belt’s athletic success has never been more prominent or visible. In addition to the conference’s accomplishments on the football field during 2020, the conference boasted a 135 percent increase in TV viewership, with seven of the conference’s games surpassing 1 million viewers.

The Sun Belt Football Championship game, slated for Saturday, December 4, 2021 will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. Click here for the ESPN/SBC 2021 Schedule.

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“The Sun Belt Conference supports College Football Playoff expansion, including the working group’s recommendation to have the six highest-ranked conference champions in the field,” said Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill.

“Playoff spots should be earned and not given. Under the proposed system, if you are a deserving team, you should have no concerns of being left out of the playoff. I look forward to continuing this conversation next week with the CFP Board of Managers.”

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – South Alabama claimed its conference-best 13th all-time tournament title at the 2021 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University with a 10-4 victory over Georgia Southern in Sunday’s championship game. 

Sun Belt Player of the Year graduate student outfielder Mason McWhorter got things started for Georgia Southern with a solo shot to left field with two outs in the top of the first inning. The Eagles then manufactured a pair in the top of the second—stringing together a double, a single, a sacrifice fly and two more singles and chasing South Alabama starter senior right-handed pitcher Matt Boswell—to take a 3-0 lead. 

South Alabama got those three runs back on one swing, with a two-out, three-run home run by senior catcher Richard Sorrenti in the bottom half of the second to knot the game at 3-3. 

The Eagles and Jaguars combined to strand seven runners in the third and fourth innings, before South Alabama broke through with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Senior outfielder Michael Sandle drew a walk to open the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. A double down the left field line by redshirt senior second baseman Hunter Stokes plated the go-ahead run for the Jaguars.

South Alabama added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth—when senior outfielder Michael Sandle’s single to left center plated freshman outfielder Hunter Donaldson—and tacked on another in the seventh—when Donaldson beat out a throw for an infield single, allowing senior first baseman Kaleb DeLaTorre to score. 

A four-run bottom of the eighth cemented the Jaguar lead for good, though the Eagles plated one in the top half of the ninth to provide the final 10-4 margin. 

Senior right-handed pitcher Miles Smith, who came back on short rest and allowed just one run on six hits over the final 7.2 innings, earned the win for the Jaguars en route to Most Outstanding Player honors at the Sun Belt Baseball Championship. 

South Alabama will represent the Sun Belt in the NCAA Baseball Regionals as the conference’s automatic qualifier—and will learn its destination during the selection show on ESPN2 at 12 noon ET on Monday, May 31. 

Most Outstanding Player
Miles Smith, South Alabama (Sr., P – Laurel, Miss.) 

All-Tournament Team
Nick Lucky, Coastal Carolina (Jr., OF – Denver, Pa.) 
Parker Biederer, Georgia Southern (Sr., OF – Cumming, Ga.) 
Jordan Jackson, Georgia Southern (Sr., P – McDonough, Ga.) 
Jason Swan, Georgia Southern (Sr., 1B – Jacksonville, Fla.) 
Josh Smith, Georgia State (So., OF – College Park, Ga.)
Spencer Arrighetti, Louisiana (So., P – Katy, Texas) 
Ben Fitzgerald, Louisiana (Jr., DH – Mason City, Iowa)
Kaleb DeLaTorre, South Alabama (Sr., 1B – Fort Scott, Kan.) 
Hunter Donaldson, South Alabama (Fr., OF – Phenix City, Ala.) 
Santi Montiel, South Alabama (Jr., SS – Alpharetta, Ga.) 
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama (Jr., OF – Andalusia, Ala.)
Connor Aube, UTA (Sr., OF – Falmouth, Maine)
Caros Tavera, UTA (Jr., P – Fort Worth, Texas)

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – South Alabama and Georgia Southern will square off in the championship final at the 2021 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama. 

Each team required a late-inning or extra-innings rally to earn a one-run victory in Saturday’s semifinals to advance to the championship game. 

Semifinal 1 – No. 1 South Alabama def. No. 2 UTA, 5-4
South Alabama used an eighth-inning rally to overcome UTA, 5-4, and advance to Sunday’s championship game. 

Both teams manufactured three runs between the third and fourth innings to knot the game at 3-3. UTA gained a one-run edge on a sacrifice fly from redshirt senior shortstop Josh Minjarez with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, before Jaguar junior reliever Tyler Perez struck out Mavericks senior outfielder Connor Aube to get out of the jam. 

The Jaguars responded with a rally of their own in the bottom of the eighth, with a hit by pitch, a single and a walk loading the bases. With two outs and a 3-2 count, junior third baseman Cameron Tissue singled to right center field to plate the tying and go-ahead runs for South Alabama in the 5-4 win. 

Senior left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego, who struck out two and allowed just one hit in the seventh and eighth innings, earned the win for the Jaguars. Senior right-handed pitcher Jase Dalton picked up the save following a three-up, three-down top of the ninth. 

South Alabama improves to 92-60 in Sun Belt Championship contests all-time and will have a shot at its 13th tournament championship on Sunday. 

Semifinal 2 – No. 2 Georgia Southern def. No. 1 Louisiana, 3-2 
Georgia Southern rallied to earn a 3-2 extra-innings victory over Louisiana and advance to Sunday’s championship game. 

Senior outfielder Parker Biederer had all three RBIs for the Eagles—including beating out a throw to first on a bunt in the top of the 11th inning to allow senior first baseman Jason Swan to score. 

Senior right-handed pitcher Jordan Jackson threw a gem for Georgia Southern, retiring 18-straight from the second through seven innings, to help the team maintain a 2-1 advantage. Louisiana manufactured the tying run in the bottom of the ninth—and had two men aboard with no outs—but could not plate the walk-off tally. 

Junior left-handed pitcher Jay Thompson, who worked the 10th and the 11th, earned the win for Georiga Southern. The Eagles move to 12-7 in Sun Belt Championship games all-time and will have a chance to earn their first tournament title on Sunday. 

The 2021 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University concludes Sunday, with the championship game slated for 1 p.m. CT. Tickets remain available, with prices ranging from $10 to $25. For more information on tickets and seating options, contact the Montgomery Biscuits ticket office by calling 334.819.7483. Each game of the Sun Belt Baseball Championship will also be broadcast live on ESPN+.

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“This schedule showcases the strength of our football programs and our partnership with ESPN, as we aim to continue the momentum from our record-breaking 2020 season,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “We are excited about the increased linear opportunities provided by ESPN as we look to build upon the fact that more than 26 million viewers watched our football games in 2020.”

East Carolina at App State kicks off the Sun Belt’s linear appearances on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The game is 1-of-6 Sun Belt contests slated for ESPNU. 

A matchup of teams that finished the 2020 season ranked No. 19 and No. 20 in the College Football Playoff Rankings—Louisiana and Texas—will air on FOX on Saturday, Sept. 4, at 3:30 p.m. CT. 

A game that will occur under the Friday night lights on September 10—Kansas at Coastal Carolina—will air in primetime on ESPN2, with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT. The Jayhawks will be the first-ever Power 5 opponent to play on the “Surf Turf” inside Brooks Stadium. 

A pair of marquee non-conference matchups, App State at Miami at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Coastal Carolina at Buffalo at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 18, will flex to either ESPN2 or ESPNU. 

In midweek action, Ohio at Louisiana at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 16; Marshall at App State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 23; and Georgia State at Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 4, will receive flagship billing on ESPN. App State at Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 12, and Coastal Carolina at App State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Oct. 20 will be broadcast on ESPN2. 

Other ESPNU appearances include Army at Georgia State on Saturday, Sept. 4, at 11 a.m. CT; Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. CT; Georgia Southern at South Alabama on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. CT; Louisiana at Arkansas State on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. CT; and Troy at Coastal Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. CT. 

The 2021 Sun Belt Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 4, will air on ESPN—with the kickoff time to be announced at a later date. The game will feature the champions of the conference’s East and West Divisions and will be played at the site of the divisional winner with the best overall conference record.

The 2021 season will conclude with the Sun Belt guaranteed a minimum of five spots in postseason bowl games—the Cure Bowl, Lending Tree Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Myrtle Beach Bowl and Camellia Bowl. 

The Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., will kick off the Sun Belt’s bowl season on Friday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. A pair of Sun Belt programs will compete on Saturday, Dec. 18, with one team in the Lending Tree Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., at 4:45 p.m. CT on ESPN and another in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

The Myrtle Beach Bowl at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C., will air on ESPN at 1:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 20, while the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., will round out the Sun Belt’s guaranteed bowl assignments at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 25, on ESPN. 

The College Football Playoff also guarantees that a spot among the New Year’s Six bowl games will be awarded to the highest-ranked champion from the Group of Five conferences. 

The Sun Belt has won 69 percent of its bowl games over the past five seasons—including 4-of-5 in 2020—to lead all FBS conferences. 

2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 2 
The Citadel at Coastal Carolina, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT — ESPN+
East Carolina at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Saturday, September 4 
Army at Georgia State, 12 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. CT – ESPNU
ULM at Kentucky, 12 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. CT – SECN
Louisiana at Texas, 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. CT – FOX 
Gardner-Webb at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Central Arkansas at Arkansas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Southern at Troy, 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Baylor at Texas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Southern Miss at South Alabama, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN+

Friday, September 10
Kansas at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Saturday, September 11
South Alabama at Bowling Green, 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT – ESPN+
App State at Miami, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN2 or ESPNU
Memphis at Arkansas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Liberty at Troy, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Nicholls State at Louisiana, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Texas State at Florida International, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+ 
Georgia State at North Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN3

Thursday, September 16
Ohio at Louisiana, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN

Saturday, September 18
Coastal Carolina at Buffalo, 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT – ESPN2 or ESPNU
Elon at App State, 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Arkansas, 4 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. CT – SECN
Arkansas State at Washington, 4:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. CT – P12N
Charlotte at Georgia State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Incarnate Word at Texas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Troy at Southern Miss, 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Alcorn State at South Alabama, 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Jackson State at ULM, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN3

Thursday, September 23
Marshall at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

Thursday, October 7
Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Tuesday, October 12
App State at Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Thursday, October 14
Georgia Southern at South Alabama, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Wednesday, October 20
Coastal Carolina at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Thursday, October 21
Louisiana at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Thursday, October 28
Troy at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Thursday, November 4
Georgia State at Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN 

Saturday, December 4
Sun Belt Football Championship Game, TBA – ESPN

Friday, December 17
Cure Bowl, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Saturday, December 18
Lending Tree Bowl, 5:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. CT – ESPN 
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, 9:15 p.m. ET/8:15 p.m. CT – ESPN

Monday, December 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl, 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

Saturday, December 25
Camellia Bowl, 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

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NEW ORLEANS — Following a vote of the conference’s 12 head coaches, Georgia Southern’s Mason McWhorter, Little Rock’s Hayden Arnold, Troy’s Garrett Gainous, Louisiana’s Drake Osborn and South Alabama’s Mark Calvi received the Sun Belt Conference’s baseball postseason honors. The conference office also announced the 2021 Baseball All-Sun Belt teams Monday. 

Georgia Southern’s McWhorter was named the Sun Belt Baseball Player of the Year; Little Rock’s Arnold was selected as the Pitcher of the Year; Troy’s Gainous was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year; Louisiana’s Osborn was dubbed the Newcomer of the Year and South Alabama’s Calvi was honored as the Ron Maestri Coach of the Year. 

McWhorter paced the Sun Belt with a .371 batting average, 144 total bases, 78 hits and 16 home runs, while ranking second in the conference with a .686 slugging percentage, .449 on-base percentage, 48 RBIs, 47 runs scored and 16 doubles. The Cumming, Ga., product is also a semifinalist for the 2021 Dick Howser Trophy. 

Arnold posted a 7-3 record, while maintaining a 2.85 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 82.0 innings pitched. The Rison, Ark., native struck out 80 and held opponents to a .226 batting average on the season. Arnold ranked among the Top 10 in the Sun Belt in wins, innings pitched, earned run average, walks allowed, earned runs allowed, runs allowed, strikeouts and opposing batting average. 

Gainous tallied a 9-4 record, with a 4.04 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 82.1 innings pitched. A native of Cairo, Ga., the freshman led all Sun Belt hurlers with nine victories on the hill, while ranking among the Top 10 in games started, innings pitched and strikeouts. 

Osborn, a transfer from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, hit .333 with 75 total bases, 22 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 16 doubles and a pair of home runs. The Sandia, Texas, product ranked second in the conference in doubles, fourth in batting average and seventh with a .410 on-base percentage. 

Calvi guided South Alabama to a 29-20 record, including a Sun Belt leading 15-9 mark in conference play to earn the Sun Belt East Division title. Entering the 2021 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University, the Jaguars sit at No. 74 in the RPI—the highest of any Sun Belt program. This is Calvi’s third Sun Belt Coach of the Year nod (2013, 2015 & 2021) since taking the helm of the South Alabama program in 2012.

Louisiana was the lone program to produce three All-Sun Belt First Team selections, while App State, Georgia Southern and Troy also claimed multiple First Team honorees. 

App State (3), Coastal Carolina (3), Georgia Southern (3), Louisiana (3), South Alabama (3), UTA (3), Little Rock (2), Arkansas State (2), Georgia State (2), ULM (2) and Troy (2) each had multiple All-Sun Belt recipients. 11-of-12 Sun Belt programs were represented on the two All-Sun Belt teams. 

Player of the Year
Mason McWhorter, Georgia Southern (Gr., OF – Cumming, Ga.) 

Pitcher of the Year
Hayden Arnold, Little Rock (Sr., P – Rison, Ark.)

Freshman of the Year
Garrett Gainous, Troy (Fr., P – Cairo, Ga.) 

Newcomer of the Year
Drake Osborn, Louisiana (Sr., C – Sandia, Texas) 

Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Mark Calvi, South Alabama

All-Sun Belt First Team
Connor Cooke, Louisiana (So., P – Sulphur, La.)
Hayden Arnold, Little Rock (Sr., P – Rison, Ark.)
Carlos Tavera, UTA (Jr., P – Fort Worth, Texas)
Nick Jones, Georgia Southern (Sr., RP – Johns Creek, Ga.) 
Drake Osborn, Louisiana (Sr., C – Sandia, Texas)  
Robbie Young, App State (Sr., 1B – Louisville, Ky.)
Luke Drumheller, App State (Jr., 2B – Charlotte, N.C.)
Drew Frederic, Troy (Sr., SS – Niceville, Fla.) 
Ben Klutts, Arkansas State (Jr., 3B – Poteau, Okla.)
Mason McWhorter, Georgia Southern (Gr., OF – Cumming, Ga.) 
Logan Cerny, Troy (So., OF – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama (Jr., OF – Andalusia, Ala.)
Cameron Jones, Georgia State (Fr., UT – Kathleen, Ga.)
Ben Fitzgerald, Louisiana (Jr., DH – Mason City, Iowa)

All-Sun Belt Second Team
JoJo Booker, South Alabama (Sr., P – Brewton, Ala.)
Tyler Tuthill, App State (Jr, P – Clayton, N.C.)
Jeremy Lee, South Alabama (Fr., P – Valley Grand, Ala.) 
Aaron Barkley, Little Rock (Gr., RP – El Cajon, Calif.)
BT Riopelle, Coastal Carolina (Jr., C – Marietta, Ga.) 
Dylan Paul, UTA (RS Sr., 1B – Allen, Texas)
Travis Washburn, ULM (So., 2B – Conroe, Texas)
Eric Brown, Coastal Carolina (So., SS – Bossier City, La.) 
Grant Schulz, ULM (Jr., 3B – Mereaux, La.)
Tyler Duncan, Arkansas State (Sr., OF – Sooke, British Columbia, Canada)
Parker Chavers, Coastal Carolina (RS Jr., OF – Montgomery, Ala.)
Josh Smith, Georgia State (So., OF – College Park, Ga.)
Andrew Miller, UTA (Sr., UT – Frisco, Texas)
Noah Ledford, Georgia Southern (Jr., DH – Buford, Ga.) 

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