South Point leads All-Big South 3A Conference baseball team

Two days after winning the 3A state title, South Point’s baseball team picked up some more hardware.

Senior pitcher Jeffrey Springs was named Big South 3A Conference player of the year and Jason Lineberger was chosen league coach of the year, the league announced Monday.

Springs dominated on the mound this season, compiling an 11-0 record with 149 strikeouts. Four wins came during the playoffs, as the Appalachian State recruit pitched four complete games, including the first game of the state championship series against Northeast Guilford. Springs later claimed MVP honors at the state championship series Saturday after going 7-for-11 at the plate with seven RBIs and three doubles.

“He’s been doing it all year long,” Lineberger said. “He didn’t throw a shutout the other night like we’re used to seeing him, but he found a way to win. And at the plate, he’s found a way to help us win.”

The league’s head coaches voted on the awards after the regular season and prior to the playoffs. Even at that point of the season and before the state championship run, South Point was the conference’s clear front runner and nearly ran the table in the Big South with an 11-1 record.

Under the guidance of Lineberger in his sixth season, the Red Raiders finished with a 27-3 record, winning more games than any other baseball team in school history. South Point won its first 16 games.

South Point placed four players on the all-conference team, as did Forestview, Crest and North Gaston, which placed second through fourth, respectively, in the final standings. Kings Mountain, which tied North Gaston for fourth but lost a tiebreaker game for the Big South’s final playoff berth, earned three all-conference spots.

Phillip Gardner: 704-869-1843; twitter.com/gazettephil

2011 All-Big South 3A Conference baseball team

Pitchers — Jeffrey Springs, South Point, Sr.; Reilly Hovis, Forestview, Jr.; Henry Rundio, North Gaston, Sr.; Logan Walden, South Point, Jr.; Bradley Edwards, Ashbrook, Sr.

Catchers — Dallas Conner, Kings Mountain, Jr.; Cody Turner, Crest, Sr.

Infielders — Wil Sellers, Kings Mountain, So.; Zade Denton, North Gaston, Sr.; Garrett Lowery, North Gaston, So.; Jordan Edgerton, South Point, Sr.; John McCuen, Ashbrook, Sr.; Dylan Burleson, Forestview, Sr.; Landon Elks, Crest, Sr.

Outfielders — Brian Brown, Kings Mountain, Sr.; Micah Smith, North Gaston, Jr.; Spencer Wiles, South Point, Sr.; C.J. Brooks, Crest, Jr.; Zach Daly, Forestview, Jr.

Utility — Craig Bolton, Crest, Sr.; Josh Branch, Forestview, Sr.

Player of the year — Jeffrey Springs, South Point, Sr.

Coach of the year — Jason Lineberger, South Point