ATLANTA - As the regular season draws to a close and the anticipation for postseason play builds, the league has unveiled their All-ASUN Team selections for the 2024 season. Four Bisons, Trace Willhoite, Alex Vergara, Mason Lundgrin, and Collin Witzke, have been selected to an All-ASUN Team. Willhoite and Vergara have been selected to the Second Team, while Lundgrin and Witzke have made the Third Team list. Willhoite, Lundgrin, and Witzke also earned Academic All-ASUN Team honors.
Versatile infielder Trace Willhoite was voted Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in February after a stellar year at third base during the Bisons Championships season. This year, Willhoite transitioned to a full-time shortstop and didn't skip a beat, earning Second-Team All-ASUN for the second straight season. The Georgetown, Kentucky, native played in all 53 games for the Bisons in his third year with the program. Overall, Wilhoite slashed .311/.689/.425 with 61 hits, 59 RBI, 19 home runs, 13 doubles, and two triples on the season. His hits, RBI, and slugging percentage led the Bisons' power-hitting offense. In ASUN action, Willhoite was even better, slashing .349/.789/.461 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI, seven doubles, and 20 walks. The graduate shortstop logged 16 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI games, including four games with four RBI. Willhoite became Lipscomb's all-time career RBI leader earlier in the season, adding to his long list of career accolades.
Alex Vergara earned preseason honor in February as well and certainly lived up to the hype during the regular season. After another excellent season for the Bisons, Vergara also earned Second Team All-ASUN honors. The Colleyville, Texas, native slashed .288/.644/.406 on the year with 60 hits, 20 home runs, 46 RBI, 14 doubles, and 61 runs scored as the lead-off man for the Bisons. He led the team and finished third in the conference in home runs this season. In the 30 conference games, Vergara slashed .302/.651/.397 with 38 hits, 28 RBI, 11 home runs, 11 doubles, and 18 walks. He logged 17 multi-hit, which led the team, and 14 multi-RBI games for the Bisons this season.
For the first time in his three-year stint with Lipscomb, Collin Witzke earned postseason honors and was selected Third-Team All-ASUN. Witzke was the Bisons' go-to closer the entire season, finishing the regular season with a 3.34 ERA in 21 appearances, 19 of which were in relief. He earned four saves in his 29.2 innings of work while allowing only 11 earned runs, with 32 strikeouts. In conference play, Witzke was dominant, ending the 30-game slate with a .73 ERA on ten appearances. In those outings, he allowed only seven hits and one earned run with 14 punch outs, and only five walks. Conference opponents were only able to hit .167 against him.
Lipscomb Ken Dugan Award winner and three-year starting first baseman Mason Lundgrin rounded out the Bisons' postseason team selections. Lundgrin also earned his first All-ASUN selection, with a spot on the Third Team list. The Salina, Kansas, native had a career year slashing .319/.503/475 this season with 59 hits, 34 RBI, eight home runs, and ten doubles. His batting average and 39 walks led the Bisons this season. In ASUN games, Lundgrin slashed .330/.491/.465 in ASUN with 37 hits, 23 RBI, four home runs, six doubles, and 20 walks. He logged 16 multi-hit and eight multi-RBI games while also being outstanding defensively at first, collecting a .989 fielding percentage with 414 putouts and 24 assists on the year.
UP NEXT
Lipscomb baseball will begin its quest to defend their 2023 ASUN Tournament crown starting Wednesday, May 23, at Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida, in game one of their pool play. Game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 p.m. local).
CLICK HERE for more information on this season's ASUN Championship. For more information on Bisons Baseball, visit lipscombsports.com or follow the team's social media accounts (@lipscombbaseball on IG and @BisonBaseball on X).
