Cullowhee, N.C. – An All-Southern Conference, all-region, and Freshman All-America selection a season ago, Western Carolina sophomore infielder Pascanel Ferreras is ready for an encore presentation heading into the 2022 season. The second-year slugger was selected as the preseason SoCon Player of the Year as D1Baseball released its preseason outlook and projected top prospects from the league.
 
Ferreras was also a preseason all-conference selection by Perfect Game last week, joined by senior infielder Will Prater and junior RHP Zebby Matthews. The official Southern Conference preseason poll and all-conference teams are slated to be unveiled on February 10, just ahead of the start of the 2022 regular season.
 
On the strength of a tremendous freshman season that included second-team All-SoCon, all-freshman team, and all-tournament team selection, Ferreras returns for an encore in 2022. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native started all 49 games at shortstop as a frosh, batting .329 with 70 hits including 11 doubles, two triples, and a team-leading 16 home runs, pacing the league with 133 total bases in collecting Freshman All-America honors from both Collegiate Baseball and D1Baseball.
 
Ferreras was listed as the Perfect Game Preseason Freshman of the Year last season, collecting preseason all-conference accolades this spring.
 
D1Baseball slotted defending regular-season champion Wofford as its preseason favorite for the 2022 season, just ahead of Mercer as the runner-up and Western Carolina third. ETSU left-hander Colby Stuart was selected as the preseason pitcher of the year with Mercer outfielder Treyson Hughes dubbed the league's top freshman.
 
The writers at D1Baseball also unveiled their projections for some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft years that included Catamount pitchers, RHP Zebby Matthews (No. 5) and LHP Eric Wallington (No. 10) for the 2022 draft. Ferreras was dubbed the top prospect in the SoCon for the 2023 MLB Draft with transfer and local product James Hinson (No. 6) and RHP Nick Hyde (No. 8) also listed.
 
WCU has two of the top 10 impact freshmen in the SoCon according to D1Baseball, both on the mound in right-handers Lucas Hartman (Bradenton, Fla.) and Matt Schepel (Matthews, N.C.).
 
2022 Preseason Practice Update:
Cold temperatures and wintry weather greeted the Diamond Cats as WCU took to the practice field as a team last Friday (Jan. 28), opening with a three-team, intrasquad scrimmage at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Snow across the region kept the squad from its scheduled Saturday practice before returning to the field with much more mild conditions on Sunday.
 
The Catamounts are slated to scrimmage intrasquad as practice resumes on Monday afternoon with a team practice on Tuesday to open the week. The preseason schedule includes intrasquad scrimmages again this weekend in Cullowhee.
 
Schedule / Ticket Information:
Single-game ticket sales for individual home games at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium began TODAY (Monday, Jan. 31, 2022). WCU opens its 56-game schedule on Friday, Feb. 18 with doubleheader action against Niagara at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium in Cullowhee.
 
Season tickets for WCU's home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at CatamountSports.com. Packages include general admission tickets for the upper grandstand bleacher areas, or reserved chairback seating options along the field level or directly behind home plate in the upper, covered seating areas.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB) and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
 
 
D1Baseball.com – Projected SoCon Standings:
1 – Wofford
2 – Mercer
3 – Western Carolina
4 – Samford
5 – UNCG
6 – ETSU
7 – VMI
8 – The Citadel
 
SoCon's Top Prospects for 2022 MLB Draft:
#5 – Zebby Matthews, RHP
#10 – Eric Wallington, LHP
 
SoCon's Top Prospects for 2023 MLB Draft:
#1 – Pascanel Ferreras, INF
#6 – James Hinson, INF
#8 – Nick Hyde, RHP
 
SoCon's 2022 Impact Freshmen:
#2 – Lucas Hartman, RHP
#9 – Matt Schepel, RHP