AUGUSTA, Ga. – The UNC Pembroke baseball team continued a long-standing tradition for itself on Thursday when seniors Ethan Baucom, Trevor Clemons and River Ryan were among a dozen players named to the Preseason All-Peach Belt Conference Baseball Team, the league office announced.
 
Baucom and Clemons joined Georgia College's Cam Hill in holding down the outfield in the listing, while Ryan picked up preseason all-conference nods at both second base and relief pitcher. It is the third preseason all-PBC honor for Baucom, Clemons was crowned for the second-straight season, and Ryan picked up the laurel for the first time. It is the fourth-straight year that UNCP has been represented on the preseason all-PBC squad.
 
The announcement was accompanied by the reveal of the preseason coaches poll as well. The Braves were slotted third in the listing which is the compilation of a polling of the league's 12 head coaches. Points were awarded on a 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, and coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team. Columbus State raked in nine first-place votes to assume its perch atop the poll, while North Georgia checked into the runner-up spot. The top three teams in the listing were separated by just 16 points.
 
Baucom, the 2019 PBC Player of the Year, registered a .307 (31-for-101) batting average in 23 starts last season, and paced the PBC in both home runs (9) and RBI (37). The Rockingham native has played in 174 games (165 starts) over his career in the Black & Gold, while also contributing a program-best 49 home runs and 215 RBI. Baucom has recorded 68 multiple-hit and 64 multiple-RBI games over his illustrious career as well.
 
Clemons compiled a .373 (38-for-102) batting average in 23 starts in the outfield in 2020, while also registering nine extra-base hits (2 HR), 26 RBI and a PBC-best 35 runs scored. The Randleman product earned PBC Player of the Week laurels in early March after turning in a .611 (11-for-18) series in the Black & Gold's sweep of Claflin at home, including a 4-for-6, 7-RBI game in the opener with the Panthers.
 
Ryan, a two-way player, registered a team-best .422 (38-for-90) batting average to go along with 11 extra-base hits (1 HR), 25 RBI and 25 runs scored as the everyday second baseman for the Braves. On the mound, Ryan was just as prominent, registering a 1-0 record, a 0.56 ERA and four saves in eight appearances, while also striking out 24 and walking just two. He held opponents to a paltry .096 batting average, surrendering just five hits in 16 innings of work.
 
The Braves will open up their 2021 season on February 13 when Barton comes calling for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Sammy Cox Field.