FARMVILLE, VA. – As the Lancers prepare for the 2016 season, it was announced Tuesday Longwood's senior first baseman Connar Bastaich was selected to the 2016 Preseason All-Big South First Team by CollegeSportsMadness.com.
 
Bastaich became the third Lancer in the past two seasons to be selected to CollegeSportsMadness.com's Preseason All-Big South First Team, joining former Lancers Aaron Myers and Brandon Delk from 2015.
 
Bastaich, a product of Midlothian, Va., returns for his senior season with the Lancers at first base after starting all 56 games a season ago. A 2015 Second-Team All-Big South selection by CollegeSportsMadness.com, Bastaich was a solid offensive contributor as a junior. Bastaich led Longwood in hits (69), multi-hit games (20), and had the longest hitting streak of the season at 12 games.
 
The senior also flashed the leather at first base, leading team qualifiers in fielding position (.986), and committed seven errors in 499 chances last season. Bastaich joined Longwood in 2015 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Potomac State Community College.
 
The Lancers went 22-34 (9-15) in 2015 and won an elimination game in the Big South Tournament, knocking off fourth-seeded Liberty 4-3. The 2016 Lancers team features 18 returners and 12 newcomers from 11 different states.
 
The Longwood Lancers begin the 2016 campaign at East Carolina on February 19 and open Buddy Bolding Stadium with a showdown against the Richmond Spiders on February 23.
 
College Sports Madness Preseason All-Big South Teams
Player of the Year: Michael Paez, Coastal Carolina
Pitcher of the Year: Matt Crohan, Winthrop
Freshman of the Year: Jason Bilous, Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year: Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina

First Team
P             Matt Crohan, Winthrop
P             Victor Cole, Liberty
P             Alex Cunningham, Coastal Carolina
IF            Connar Bastaich, Longwood
IF            Michael Paez, Coastal Carolina
IF            Matt Parrish, Campbell
IF            Tyler Chadwick, Coastal Carolina
IF            G.K. Young, Coastal Carolina
OF          Anthony Marks, Coastal Carolina
OF          Anthony Paulsen, Winthrop
OF          Josh Greene, High Point
UTL        Cole Hallum, Campbell

Second Team
P             Bobby Holmes, Coastal
P             Dylan Nelson, Radford
P             Brad Haymes, Gardner-Webb
IF            Roger Gonzalez, Winthrop
IF            Dalton Britt, Liberty
IF            Mark Lowrie, Winthrop
IF            Danny Hrbek, Radford
IF            Nate Blanchard, Charleston Southern
OF          Joe Tietjen, UNC Asheville
OF          Tyler Weyenberg, Presbyterian
OF          Shane Johnsonbaugh, Radford
UTL        Connor Owings, Coastal Carolina

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