Galesburg, IL – The Carl Sandburg College baseball team was represented by five players on this year’s All-Arrowhead Conference team.
Cam Scott (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) was voted to the team as an infielder and for his efforts on the mound, while Abe Collins (Morton, Ill./Morton), Ben Higgins (Macomb, Ill./Macomb), Hunter Darst (Avon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) and Silas Israel (Tremont, Ill./Tremont) also earned all-conference honors after helping the Chargers to a 12-6 league mark.
Scott, a freshman and the Chargers’ everyday third baseman, hit a team-best .444 in 65 plate appearances against conference opponents while also sporting a .538 on-base percentage, .870 slugging percentage and team-high 1.409 OPS. Scott also led the Chargers with 25 hits, six home runs and 25 RBIs against Arrowhead foes. He scored 20 runs and had eight steals in nine attempts.
As a pitcher, Scott went 3-0 in four Arrowhead starts. The righthander was second on the team with a 2.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, and he posted a 27-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Scott was the only player in the league to earn all-conference honors as a pitcher and position player.
A lefthanded-hitting freshman outfielder, Collins played in all 18 conference games and led Sandburg with a .549 on-base percentage, 26 runs, 16 walks and 15 stolen bases in 71 plate appearances. Collins also had two home runs, two triples and knocked in 13 runs. He was second to Scott in batting average (.407) and OPS (1.216).
Higgins, the Chargers’ freshman center fielder, hit .364/.486/.545 in 70 plate appearances over 18 conference games. He collected a Sandburg-leading five doubles, added a homer, drove in 16 and was second on the team in runs with 22. Higgins also was 10 for 11 in stolen-base attempts. Defensively, he posted a 1.000 fielding percentage and had two outfield assists.
Sandburg’s primary backstop, Darst had a .429 OBP in 56 plate appearances covering 15 Arrowhead games. The sophomore had nine RBIs, scored 10 runs and had nine walks to just five strikeouts. In 66 innings behind the plate, Darst threw out 6 of 19 potential base-stealers and picked off a runner.
A lefthanded freshman, Israel pitched a team-high 25 innings over four conference starts, finishing with a 3-1 record. Israel led the Chargers with a 2.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and fanned a team-best 34 batters. The southpaw struck out at least nine batters in three of his four conference starts, including a pair of 10-K games.
Bottom row (L-R): Ben Higgins, Hunter Darst, Silas Israel
2021 ALL-ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
MVP — Cayle Webster (Black Hawk)
Infield — Cayle Webster (Black Hawk), Drew Davis (Black Hawk), Cam Scott (Sandburg), Jancarlos Colon Pagan (Highland), Matt Makarawich (Sauk Valley), Austin Miller (Sauk Valley)
Outfield — Colin Bruce (Black Hawk), Chance Resetich (Black Hawk), Abe Collins (Sandburg), Ben Higgins (Sandburg), Joshua Williams (Highland)
Catchers — Johnny Hernandez (Black Hawk), Hunter Darst (Sandburg)
Designated Hitters — Brandon Roth (Black Hawk), Larson Barnett (Sauk Valley)
Pitchers — Payton Lawrence (Black Hawk), Silas Israel (Sandburg), Cam Scott (Sandburg), Sage Wayment (Highland)
***Story and photos courtesy of Carl Sandburg College**
