Baseball | 2/19/2021 2:50:00 PM

Rembert Earns First Team, Garcia Lands Second Team In SWAC Preseason Honors

LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program has received a pair of accolades as senior outfielder Brandon Rembert and sophomore infielder Tristin Garcia were named to the Preseason All-SWAC First and Second Teams, respectively.

Rembert, who appeared in Sports Illustrated and was on the MLB Draft radar, is making his second straight appearance on the Preseason All-SWAC First Team. He started all 12 games in a COVID shortened season while logging three multi-hit contests, reached base safely in five consecutive ballgames and tied for the team lead with 11 runs scored. In the 2020 campaign he notched 16 total bases, 13 hits, six RBI, six walks and a round-tripper.
 
The Pensacola, Florida native won the Alcorn Sportsmanship Award at the conclusion of the 2019 season in which he topped the team in batting average (.345), finished fifth in the conference for (.462), had an on-base streak of 12 games and placed among the top-three Braves hitters in hits (48) runs scored (38), walks (29), doubles (9) and homers (3).
 
Garcia, who was named to the 2020 All-HBCU First Team by the Black College Nines, also appeared on the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team last year and had a top-50 average of RBI per game (1.22) in the entire NCAA. Primarily a second baseman, he was the second-toughest batter to strikeout in the conference (9.8), ranked ninth in the SWAC in batting average (.333), fronted the Braves in multi-hit (4) and multi-RBI (4) outings plus on-base percentage (.413). In the nine games, Garcia reached base safely during six-in-a-row and recorded 17 total bases, 13 hits, 11 RBI, five runs scored, three walks, a home run and a double.
 
As a freshman in 2019, the kid from Louisville, Kentucky logged a team-best ten-game hitting streak, had the highest amount of hits (54), triples (3) and multi-hit contests (20) for the purple and gold while finishing in the top-third on the club for batting average (.344), runs scored (31), doubles (9), total bases (75), slugging percentage (.478) and steals (5).
 
The Baseball Braves were picked to finish third in the preseason poll despite being the only team not to receive a first place vote. Coach Richardson's squad was supposed to open the season this weekend in the Andre Dawson Classic against New Orleans but Mother Nature had other plans. They will now start their quest for a championship on March 5 as it opens SWAC play with a three-game series at Mississippi Valley State.

Preseason Player of the Year
Santiago Garcia, Alabama State
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Nikelle Galatas, Jackson State
 
Preseason First-Team
C – Santiago Garcia, Alabama State
1B – Nick Kreutzer, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2B – Alex Martinez, Prairie View A&M
3B – Nic Garza, Texas Southern
SS – Angel Jimenez, Alabama State
DH – Chris Prentiss, Jackson State
OF – Equon Smith, Jackson State
OF – Brandon Rembert, Alcorn
OF – Tyson Thompson, Texas Southern
SP – Nikelle Galatas, Jackson State
SP – Jeremy Rivera, Alabama State
RP – Mario Lopez, Jackson State
 
Preseason Second-Team:
C – Tyler Gordon, Prairie View A&M
1B – Oscar Ponce, Texas Southern
2B – Tristin Garcia, Alcorn
3B – Hunter May, Alabama State
SS – Christopher DeGuzman, Alabama State
DH – Chris Lewis, Alabama State
OF – Jahmoi Percival, Grambling State
OF – Xavier Jefferson, Prairie View A&M
OF – Cameron Hearn, Alabama State
SP –  Alex Olguin, Texas Southern
SP – Ricardo Rivera, Alabama State
RP – Lorenzo Hardit, Prairie View A&M
 
Eastern Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Alabama State, 93 points (14)
2. Jackson State, 76 points (3)
3. Alcorn, 52 points (0)
4. Alabama A&M, 51 points (2)
5. Mississippi Valley State, 28 points (1)
 
Western Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Grambling State, 80 points (9)
2. Texas Southern, 77 points (8)
3. Southern, 64 points (1)
4. Prairie View A&M, 39 points (1)
5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 35 points (1)
 
*First Place Votes In (Parentheses)

#FearTheBrave