Five Bears Earn All-Conference Honors

MACON – The Mercer baseball team placed five players on SoCon all-conference teams, highlighted by Colton Cosper, Bradley Frye and Ty Dalley earning first team honors and Frye taking home the Golden Glove Award as the league's defensive player of the year, as voted on by the league's coaches. Titan Kamaka joined Frye on the all-defensive team, while Collin Ewaldsen earned a spot on the all-freshman team.

Colton Cosper earns first team all-league honors for the second year in a row following a dominant regular season. Making 15 appearances with 14 starts, the senior left-hander ranks second in the SoCon in ERA at 3.29 while posting a 6-2 record in 79.1 innings. Cosper has tallied 73 strikeouts to just 12 walks, good for a 6.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranks 12^th nationally. Additionally, his 1.4 walks per nine innings is the top mark in the Southern Conference. His all-conference recognition comes on the heels of a career performance in his final start at OrthoGeorgia Park, striking out a career-high 11 in eight shutout innings against Samford. In conference play, Cosper has earned victories over VMI, ETSU and UNC Greensboro. In his win over the Keydets, Cosper tossed Mercer's first complete game of the season, while against UNCG, Cosper blanked the Spartans over seven frames. Cosper also earned SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing five shutout innings against High Point, who ended the regular season second in the country with 125 home runs, on February 28. Since arriving in Macon ahead of the 2022 season, Cosper has been an anchor of the Bears' pitching staff, making 68 appearances with 42 starts. The Carrollton, Georgia native was a preseason all-conference selection ahead of the 2025 campaign and was a CSC Academic All-District selection in both 2023 and 2024.

Ty Dalley also earns All-SoCon First Team honors for the second consecutive year, adding to what has been a historic season for the junior. Dalley has been one of the most prolific power hitters in the country this season, ranking third in the SoCon and 32^nd in the country with 18 home runs. Dalley's 18^th home run of the regular season etched his name into the Mercer record books, as it marked his 57^th career home run, breaking Mercer's career home run record previously held by Tim Smith (1980-83). Dalley also ranks among league leaders in doubles (18) and RBI (59) while leading the Bears in both categories. The Vidalia, Ga. native was the conference's preseason player of the year ahead of the 2025 season and has earned all-conference honors in each of his three seasons in Macon. Dalley was named all-conference first team and all-tournament team a year ago and was an all-freshman team, all-tournament team and freshman all-America pick in 2023. In his three seasons in the Orange & Black, the left-handed slugger has played in 171 games with 167 starts, posting a .282 batting average, 181 hits, 46 doubles, 57 home runs and 186 RBI.

Bradley Frye receives all-conference recognition for the first time in his career after enjoying a breakout 2025 campaign. The senior shortstop has posted a career-best .335 batting average this season and leads the SoCon with 79 hits. Frye has also put up career-bests in doubles (15), home runs (12), RBI (52), slugging percentage (.551) and stolen bases (15) while hitting in the middle of the Mercer lineup. In his final series at OrthoGeorgia Park last weekend, Frye put an exclamation point on a fantastic regular season with his first career walk-off, a single to defeat Samford in the series opener. An anchor in the middle of the infield over the last three years, Frye also earns the SoCon's Golden Glove Award as the league's top defensive player. Frye's elite glove has bolstered a Mercer defense that ranks third in the country in defensive runs saved this season, trailing only North Carolina and Georgia Tech. A two-time SoCon Player of the Week honoree this season, Frye was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List in April as one of the top 100 shortstops in the country. Since arriving in Macon ahead of the 2023 campaign, Frye has played in 168 games with 166 starts and is just five hits away from 200 in his career. A career .296 hitter in the Orange & Black, Frye was a SoCon All-Tournament Team pick in 2024 and a preseason all-conference selection prior to the 2025 campaign.

Titan Kamaka has impressed in his first season in Macon after joining the Bears as a transfer from Florida State, earning a spot alongside his double play partner on the league's all-defensive team. Serving as the team's everyday second baseman, Kamaka has made just four errors on 185 chances this season while helping the Bears turn 40 double plays. Kamaka has enjoyed a strong season with the bat as well, leading the Bears with a .375 average in conference play and ranking fourth with a .294 average overall. Kamaka has also provided a jolt of power to the Mercer lineup, slugging eight home runs and 11 doubles while driving in 38. The junior has tallied four three-hit games in conference play, including a 3-for-5 day with a home run and four RBI against VMI. Despite missing a couple of weeks due to injury, the native of Orlando, Fla. has played in 48 games, all starts, for Mercer this season.

Collin Ewaldsen represents Mercer on the SoCon All-Freshman Team after emerging as a go-to option on the back end of the bullpen. The flame-throwing freshman has made 23 appearances this season, sporting a 4.88 ERA with two wins and three saves. Ewaldsen has struck out 28 in 24 innings while limiting opponents to a .220 batting average. The native of Baxley, Ga. put together a stretch of 10 straight scoreless appearances from March 26 through May 4, collecting three saves in the process.

The Bears open SoCon Tournament play on Thursday, taking on the winner of fifth-seeded Western Carolina and eighth-seeded VMI in Greenville, S.C. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Fluor Field.

SoCon Baseball All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year – Cooper Torres, Sr., ETSU
Pitcher of the Year – Brady Frederick, So., ETSU
Coach of the Year – Joe Penucci, ETSU
Freshman of the Year – Axel Melendez, ETSU
Golden Glove Award (Defensive Player of the Year) – Bradley Frye, Sr., Mercer

All Conference First Team
SP - Carter Fink, ETSU
SP - Jace Hyde, ETSU
SP - Colton Cosper, Mercer
RP - Maddox Webb, The Citadel
RP - Danny Thompson Jr., UNCG
RP - Brady Frederick, ETSU
C - Jack Spyke, Western Carolina
1B - Grayson Fitzwater, VMI
2B - Cooper Torres, ETSU
SS - Bradley Frye, Mercer
3B - Parker McDonald, Samford
OF - Ty Dalley, Mercer
OF - Jamie Palmese, UNCG
OF - Michael Gupton, Samford
DH - Wyatt Stanley, Western Carolina

All Conference Second Team
SP - Mason Blasche, Samford
SP - Miller Riggins, Samford
SP - Dusty Revis, Western Carolina
RP - Derek McCarley, ETSU
RP - Josh Leerssen, Samford
RP - Carter Rasmussen, Wofford
C - Cade Carr, Samford
1B - Jackson Harris, Samford
2B - Jeffrey Ince, Samford
SS - Cody Miller, ETSU
3B - Grant Gallagher, ETSU
OF - TJ Anderson, The Citadel
OF - Boston Torres, VMI
OF - Owen Prince, VMI
DH - Lenny Montesano, ETSU

All-Defensive Team
Phillips Daniels, The Citadel
Garrett Dill, The Citadel
Travis Elliott, The Citadel
Lane Tobin, The Citadel
Tristan Curless, ETSU
Cody Miller, ETSU
Bradley Frye, Mercer
Titan Kamaka, Mercer
Jacob Budzik, UNCG
Jeffrey Ince, Samford
Owen Prince, VMI
Trent Turner, Western Carolina

All-Freshman Team
Axel Melendez, ETSU
Collin Ewaldsen, Mercer
JJ Parsons, UNCG
Parker Wright, UNCG
Mason Blasche, Samford
Gus Gandy, Samford
Jake Souders, Samford
Justin Spiegel, VMI
Trey Spees, Western Carolina
Wyatt Stanley, Western Carolina
Cullen Condon, Wofford
Tanner Hardin, Wofford

Players Mentioned

Colton Cosper

Ty Dalley

Collin Ewaldsen

Bradley Frye

Titan Kamaka

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