Four Senators tabbed NJCAA Baseball All-Americans
MORRISTOWN, TN – Walters State's 2022 baseball season was a historic one and four Senators were rewarded for their efforts during the season.
On Monday, the NJCAA announced their All-American teams with four Senators earning the honor. Shortstop Caleb McNeely and pitcher Kohl Drake were named to the first team while right fielder Colby Backus was named to the second team and Jake Knapp the third team.
It's the most All-Americans Walters State has had since 2018 when four Senators were named to the teams.
The four helped lead Walters State to a 60-7 record, a TCCAA Regular Season Championship, a TCCAA/Region VII Tournament Championship, an Appalachian District Championship and a third-place finish at the JUCO World Series.
The TCCAA Player of the Year, McNeely was named a first team All-American after playing in 67 games in 2022. McNeely hit .390 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs. He scored 96 runs and stole 23 bases.
McNeely tied for the NJCAA lead in home runs with 25 and was second in the country in runs scored with 97.
McNeely was huge in postseason play for Walters State with two home runs in the Appalachian District Series game that clinched their ticket to the JUCO World Series. During the JUCO World Series, McNeely hit .333 with a home run and eight RBIs.
McNeely broke the school career base on balls record with 88 and the career runs scored record with 186. He also broke the school season record for runs scored with 97.
The TCCAA Pitcher of the Year, Drake finished the season with an undefeated record in 17 starts. Drake was 14-0 on the year with a 1.93 ERA, striking out 160 in 93.1 innings of work. He walked just 17 batters and had a K/9 of 15.43. He pitched five complete games.
Drake was tied for first in the country in wins but was the only pitcher out of the four with 14 wins that went undefeated. He led the country in strikeouts by 22 and was seventh in innings pitched. He also ranked 10th in the country in ERA.
Drake tied the school record for wins in a career with 23, smashed the career strikeout record with 267, the previous record was 184, tied the record for wins in a season with 14 and broke the season strikeout record with 160.
On the second team was Backus, who was phenomenal in his first season for Walters State. In 67 games, Backus hit .387 with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs. He scored 74 runs.
Backus was tied for 15th in the country in home runs. During the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament, Backus hit three home runs and drove in eight runs. In the JUCO World Series, he totaled four RBIs.
Rounding out things for Walters State was Knapp on the third team. Just like his counterpart Drake, Knapp finished the season in a tie for first place in the country with 14 wins. In 18 appearances, 17 starts, Knapp was 14-1 with a 2.12 ERA and had 111 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. Knapp walked just 22 batters and had a 12.38 K/9. He also allowed just five home runs all season and pitched three complete games.
Knapp ranked 12th in the country in strikeouts and 15th in ERA. He was 18th in innings pitched. He tied Drake for the school record in wins in a season with 14.
McNeely, Drake and Knapp were part of a class that combined in their two years to go 121-14. They won the conference, region and districts both years and finished with a seventh and third-place finish at the World Series.
All-America selections are made by the NJCAA Division I Baseball Committee.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics