HIGH POINT, N.C – The Big South Conference announced the 2025 Baseball Preseason All-Conference honors as High Point University had three named to the all-conference team while the Big South coaches picked the Panthers to finish first.
 
For the first time since 2017, the High Point Panthers were selected first in the preseason polls after a historic 35-win season under the helm of head coach Joey Hammond. The Panthers won their first Big South Championship in program history and made their first appearance in the NCAA Regional hosted by Clemson. Hammond led his team to a walk-off win against Vanderbilt to earn the program its first NCAA Tournament win. Since then, Hammond and staff have added a handful of freshmen and transfers to rebuild a championship roster.
 
Senior, Miggy Echazarreta, and Konni Durschlag were selected as Big South All-Conference players along with junior infielder Brayden Simpson.
 
Echazarreta is coming off a season where he held a .319 batting average as he appeared in 46 games, making 34 starts. Always finding a way on the bases with a .482 on base percentage, Echazarreta had 38 hits, seven doubles, two home runs, and drove in 20 runs. He was also 19-23 on stolen bag attempts. He spent most of his time in right field.
 
The senior from Charlotte, N.C., Durschlag started in all 62 games playing much of his time in center field. The .298 hitter saw 235 at-bats and recorded 70 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs, including a grand slam against USC Upstate. He drew 43 walks and had a .428 on base percentage. Durschlag swiped 14 bags on 17 attempts. 
 
Starting all 62 games, Simpson split his time between second base and first base for the Panthers. The .300 hitter had 12 home runs, 18 doubles, two triples, 46 runs batted in, and scored 60 runs on 223 plate appearances. With an on base percentage of .425, Simpson stole 14 bags on 15 attempts.
 
High Point will throw the first pitch of the 2025 season on February 14 as they host New Jersey Institute of Technology for a weekend series.
 

Rank	Team (first-place votes)	Points
1	High Point (4)	76
2	USC Upstate (2)	64
3	Gardner-Webb (1)	50
4	Presbyterian	47
5	Charleston Southern	46
6	Winthrop (1)	43
7	UNC Asheville	37
8	Radford (1)	25
9	Longwood	17

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
OF – Koby Kropf, R-Sr., Winthrop
OF – Konni Durschlag, Sr., High Point
OF – Lawson Knight, Sr., Gardner-Webb
OF – Nick Capozzi, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
INF – Chandler Tuupo, Jr., Charleston Southern
INF – Vance Sheahan, Soph., USC Upstate
INF – Brayden Simpson, Jr., High Point
INF – Hunter Keen, Sr., Radford
INF – Trey Fenderson, Jr., Presbyterian
C – Jackson Hugus, Sr., Presbyterian
DH – Jake Randolph, Jr., Presbyterian
UTL – Miggy Echazarreta, Sr., High Point
SP – Colby Guy, Jr., UNC Asheville
SP – Owen Sarna, Soph., Winthrop
SP – Drew Stanley, Sr., Radford
SP – Nick Timpanelli, R-Jr., Charleston Southern
RP – Cooper Ellingworth, Soph., USC Upstate
RP – Sean Hollister, Sr., Presbyterian
RP – Devin Pressley, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb (tie)
RP – Braden Consaul, Jr., USC Upstate (tie)
 
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Koby Kropf, OF, R-Sr., Winthrop
 
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Colby Guy, SP, Jr., UNC Asheville