LYNCHBURG, Va. – Two Lancer seniors, outfielder Sammy Miller and right-handed pitcher Zach Potojecki, received All-Big South postseason honors, announced by the conference office Tuesday morning.
 
Miller received All-Big South Honorable Mention accolades, while Potojecki was named to the academic team for the second time in his career. The all-conference award is the first all-conference award for Miller and the second for Potojecki. The Lancers have placed a player on the postseason all-conference teams all six seasons since joining the Big South.
 
Miller, a native of Shrewsbury, Pa., is a four-year starter at Longwood and has been atop the order as the lead-off hitter and center fielder each of the last two years for the Lancers. Miller has led Longwood in on-base percentage and stolen bases each of the last two seasons as the sparkplug for the offense.
 
In 2018 Miller has started every game in center and as the lead-off man is reaching base at a .418 clip, the highest on-base percentage of his career. Miller finished the regular season fourth in the Big South with 20 stolen bases, leading a Lancer charge that paced the conference in steals as a team. Miller is also seventh in the Big South and one shy of his career high with 39 walks drawn as the senior has improved upon his career .398 on-base percentage.
 
Miller has been Longwood's lead-off man for the better part of the last three years and is as steady as they come in the outfield with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 99 chances and a team-high five outfield assists.
 
Potojecki, a Business Administration Major with a Concentration in Finance, finished 2018 with a 3.52 GPA to earn the nod on the Big South All-Academic team for a second consecutive season. The senior pitcher, who earned his degree this past Saturday, was awarded the Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Graduate Fellowship, designated for one male and female student-athlete at a Big South institution who plans on continuing their studies after their senior season. With the fellowship comes a $2,000 grant for Potojecki to graduate school. Potojecki is the fifth Lancer to earn the fellowship since Longwood joined the conference before the 2012-2013 school year.
 
A native of Danville, Va., Potojecki finished the year as a part of the weekend rotation, capping off his season with 4.0 innings of work against Gardner-Webb Sunday. Potojecki struck out 22 batters in 20.0 innings of work in 2018 and enters the postseason with 131 career strikeouts in 116.2 career innings pitched.
 
Miller and Potojecki are the 15th and 16th players to receive all-conference honors, joining current teammate Michael Catlin as a part of that list, as Catlin was a 2016 all-academic team member.
 
Miller has also picked up Big South All-Tournament Team honors, earning the distinction in 2016. As a part of Longwood's run to the conference tournament semifinal Miller hit .467 (7-for-15) in the 2016 championship with six RBI, two runs scored, and was a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen bases.
 
Longwood continues its season in the postseason, opening its stay at the Big South Baseball Championship Tuesday. Longwood faces No. 1 Campbell at 4:30 p.m. The game will air live on the Big South Network and can also be heard on radio on Kickin' Country 92.9 FM WVHL Farmville.
 
2018 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
 
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OF   Austen Zente, Sr., High Point
OF   Matthew Barefoot, R-So., Campbell
OF   D.J. Artis, Jr., Liberty
INF  Mitch Spires, Sr., Winthrop
INF  Hunter Lee, Sr., High Point
INF  Jonathan White, Jr., Gardner-Webb
INF  Daniel Milwee, R-Jr., High Point
UTL Tre Todd, Jr., Liberty
DH   Jeff Hahs, Sr., Campbell
SP   Allan Winans, R-Sr., Campbell
SP   Austin Ross, R-Sr., Radford
SP   Andrew Gottfried, Jr., High Point
RP   Rion Murrah, Sr., High Point
RP   Logan Bender, R-Fr., Campbell
 
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OF   A.J. Priaulx, Sr., Presbyterian
OF   Chris Clary, Jr., Gardner-Webb
OF   Mickey Dugan, Sr., Gardner-Webb
INF  Christian Jones, Sr., Campbell
INF  Spencer Horwitz, So., Radford
INF  Tyler Halstead, Sr., Winthrop
INF  Travis Holt, Fr., High Point
C    Christian Maggio, Fr., Charleston Southern
UTL Mike Sconzo, Sr., Charleston Southern
DH   Chandler Redmond, Jr., Gardner-Webb
SP   Bradley Hallman, Sr., Gardner-Webb
SP   Nate Pawelczyk, Jr., Winthrop
SP   Michael Horrell, Jr., Campbell
RP   Tyson Messer, Jr., Campbell
RP   Ryan Hedrick, Sr., Presbyterian
 
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
SP   Zach Peek, So., Winthrop               
OF   Mason Fox, Jr., Gardner-Webb  
INF   Tyler Galazin, Jr., Liberty
OF    Sammy Miller, Sr., Longwood
SP   Garrett Price, So., Liberty
 
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Kyle Mehl, Sr., IF, Campbell
Josh Litchfield, Jr., OF, Charleston Southern
Eric Jones, Jr., 3B, Gardner-Webb
Andrew Gottfried, Jr., RHP, High Point
Zach Clinton, Jr., P, Liberty
Zach Potojecki, Jr., RHP, Longwood
AJ Priaulx, Sr., LF, Presbyterian
Kyle Palmer, R-Sr., LHP, Radford
Jesse Juday, Sr., RHP, UNC Asheville
Hunter Lipscomb, Jr., OF, Winthrop
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Austen Zente, OF, Sr. High Point
 
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Allan Winans, RHP, R-Sr., Campbell
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Logan Bender, RP, R-Fr., Campbell
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Justin Haire, Campbell
 
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Josh Litchfield, Jr., OF, Charleston Southern
 
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