Three Gents Earn ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region Honors

Greensboro, N.C. – Three Centenary baseball players were named to the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III West All-Region Team, it was announced on Tuesday.

Senior Pitcher/First Baseman Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was named to the first team while sophomore RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) earned a spot on the second team, and senior RF Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas) made the third team.

The versatile Ludwick led the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference this season in batting average, hits, RBI, and total bases and ranked in the top 10 in seven more individual statistical categories. He was superb on the mound as well as he was named the 2021 SCAC Pitcher of the Year after going 8-2 with a 4.09 ERA. He led the conference in wins, strikeouts, and opposing batting average and ranked second in ERA and innings pitched. He made 12 appearances (12 starts) and tossed one complete game.

He was a finalist for SCAC Hitter of the Year as he collected a team-high 65 hits, 49 RBI, and a .404 batting average. He earned First-Team All-SCAC honors at first base. Ludwick posted an impressive .492 OBP and a .571 slugging percentage. He struck out only nine times all season in 161 at-bats while drawing 26 walks. He had 17 extra-base hits, posted 21 multi-hit games and eight three-hit games. Ludwick drove in at least two runs in a game 13 times and seven times he had three or more RBI in a game.

He allowed just 30 earned runs and 44 hits in 66 innings pitched with 77 K's. He recorded seven or more strikeouts five times during the season highlighted by a career-high 11 in six innings of a 12-3 win over St. Thomas on April 17.

Primeaux had a breakout sophomore season as he earned First-Team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference honors as a relief pitcher. He led the country in division III in saves with 10 and also led the conference in the category and led SCAC in ERA (3.22). In a team-high 27 appearances, Primeaux went 3-4 and in 64.1 innings pitched he allowed just 56 hits with only 23 earned runs. He struck out 58 batters and averaged 8.11 strikeouts per nine innings. Primeaux was named SCAC Pitcher of the Week on March 9.

Crowder capped his record-breaking Gents career with a stellar senior season. Crowder, one of the most decorated players in the D3 era of the program as he holds a multitude of individual records, ranked in the top 10 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference this season in 11 individual statistical categories. Crowder earned First-Team All-SCAC honors as an outfielder. He batted .331 with a .467 on-base percentage and a team-best .558 slugging percentage. He led the conference in total plate appearances, runs scored, and triples, was second in doubles, and third in total bases and hit by pitches. He ranked fifth in the league in stolen bases as he swiped 16 bags and was caught only once. He was named SCAC Hitter of the Week on March 25 and recorded 14 multi-hit games and had 10 games with two RBI or more. Crowder had 23 extra-base hits including 14 doubles. He earned the honor for the second time in his career after also being named to the Third Team as a freshman in 2017.

VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST ALL-REGION TEAMS HERE:  https://www.abca.org/ABCA/Awards/All-Region/NCAA_Div_III/2021.aspx

ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors. The ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-America teams will be announced on Thursday, June 3.

The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level with over 13,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.

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