Kane Sweeney Named Big South Coach of the Year; Amp Phillips Newcomer of the Year as Baseball Sees Record 13 Spartans Named All-Big South

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coming off the program's first-ever Big South Conference Regular Season Championship, USC Upstate baseball's historic season continues as a record 13 Spartans find themselves named All-Big South selections as the league announced its yearly postseason honors Tuesday morning.

Headlining the honors, first-year head coach Kane Sweeney brought home Big South Coach of the Year honors, the first for the Spartans since joining the league ahead of the 2019 season. Guiding the Spartans to a league regular season title and 33 regular season wins in his first year at the helm, he's the first Big South coach since Liberty's Dave Pastors in 1998 to earn Coach of the Year accolades in his inaugural season as a collegiate head coach.

In the second year of the award's existence, redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Amp Phillips earned Big South Newcomer of the Year honors. Also, a First Team Big South selection, Phillips is joined on the team by redshirt junior rightfielder Scott Campbell, sophomore shortstop Vance Sheahan, junior catcher Preston Lucas, and senior designated hitter Johnny Sweeney.

Upstate's Second Team All-Big South selections include redshirt sophomore centerfielder Scott Newman, sophomore left-handed pitcher Chris Torres, sophomore right-handed pitcher Darin Kuskie, and sophomore right-hander Cooper Ellingworth. Redshirt sophomore righty Max Bianchini and redshirt freshman leftfielder Henry Zenor—also an All-Freshman Team member—were Honorable Mention All-Conference selections while junior right-hander Braden Consaul slotted on the Big South All-Academic Team.

Below are player capsules (ordered by Big South honor) for the Spartans' 2025 All-Conference honorees.

Amp Phillips | Right-Handed Pitcher | Redshirt Sophomore | Lancaster, S.C.
Named Big South Newcomer of the Year … Named First Team All-Big South … Named Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week on 4/7/25; 4/14/25; 4/28/25; and 5/19/25 … Appeared in 18 games, making 10 starts and eight relief appearances … Tossed 69.0 innings, striking out 67 batters … Posted an 8.74 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 6-2 record with two saves with a 4.04 ERA and .218 opponents' batting average … Tossed a career-high 7.0 innings on two occasions: versus High Point on 4/5/25 and versus Longwood on 5/2/25 … Struck out a career-high 11 batters over 7.0 innings of work versus High Point on 4/5/25 … Recorded six scoreless outings and four quality starts on the season … Made his USC Upstate debut with 1.0 innings of work out of the bullpen versus Boston College on 2/14/25.

Scott Campbell | Outfielder | Redshirt Junior | Macon, Ga.
Named First Team All-Big South … Appeared in 50 games, making 40 starts … Posted a three-slash line of .383/.502/.617 … Collected 64 runs, 64 hits, nine doubles, 10 home runs, and 48 RBI … Drew 19 walks and 23 HBP … Stole 18 bases in 21 attempts … Recorded a career-high three hits on five occasions: versus Wofford on 3/19/25; versus Winthrop on 4/12/25; versus UNCG on 4/17/25; versus Gardner-Webb on 4/25/25; and versus Gardner-Webb on 4/17/25 … Collected a career-high four RBI on two occasions: versus Wofford on 3/19/25 and versus Charleston Southern on 3/21/25 … Recorded 20 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long 15-game hitting streak and a career-long 27-game reached base streak … Made his USC Upstate debut as a pinch hitter versus Boston College on 2/16/25.

Vance Sheahan | Infielder | Sophomore | Lake Worth, Fla.
Named First Team All-Big South … Named Big South Player of the Week on 5/19/25 … Appeared in and started all 56 games … Posted a three-slash line of .337/.403/.518 … Collected 65 runs, 84 hits, 15 doubles, 10 home runs, and 54 RBI … Drew 25 walks and five HBP … Stole 25 bases in 30 attempts … Recorded a career-high five hits versus Bowling Green on 2/23/25 … Collected a career-high seven RBI versus UNC Asheville on 5/17/25 … Recorded 21 multi-hit and 17 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long 12-game hitting streak and a career-long 43-game reached base streak.

Preston Lucas | Catcher | Junior | Phoenix, Ariz.
Named First Team All-Big South … Appeared in 54 games, starting 48 … Posted a three-slash line of .329/.438/.494 … Collected 42 runs, 56 hits, 16 doubles, four home runs, and 55 RBI … Drew 29 walks and 10 HBP … Stole three bases in five attempts … Recorded a career-high three hits on five occasions: versus ETSU on 3/28/25; versus Longwood on 5/3/25; versus Longwood on 5/4/25; versus Presbyterian on 5/9/25; and versus Presbyterian on 5/10/25 … Collected a career-high six RBI on two occasions: versus Longwood on 5/3/25 and versus Longwood on 5/4/25 … Recorded 18 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long six-game hitting streak and a career-long 23-game reached base streak … Made his USC Upstate debut as the starting catcher versus Boston College on 2/14/25.

Johnny Sweeney | Designated Hitter | Senior | Millstadt, Ill.
Named to a Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist … Named First Team All-Big South … Named Big South Player of the Week on 3/24/25; 4/7/25; and 5/5/25 … Appeared in and started 52 games … Posted a three-slash line of .363/.510/.726 … Collected 54 runs, 65 hits, 14 doubles, 17 home runs, and 78 RBI … Drew 38 walks and 19 HBP … Stole three bases in as many attempts … Recorded a career-high four hits on three occasions: versus NC State on 3/25/25; versus High Point on 4/4/25; and versus Gardner-Webb on 4/27/25 … Collected a career-high seven RBI on two occasions: versus NC State on 3/25/25 and versus Longwood on 5/3/25 … Recorded 19 multi-hit and 17 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long 10-game hitting streak and a career-long 19-game reached base streak.

Scott Newman | Outfielder | Redshirt Sophomore | Glenview, Ill.
Named Second Team All-Big South … Appeared in and started 55 games … Posted a three-slash line of .303/.417/.573 … Collected 69 runs, 66 RBI, eight doubles, 17 home runs, and 56 RBI … Drew 33 walks and 12 HBP … Stole 11 bases in 19 attempts … Recorded a career-high three hits on seven occasions: versus Boston College on 2/14/25; versus Western Carolina on 2/26/25; versus UMass Lowell on 3/1/25; versus Clemson on 3/4/25; versus ETSU on 3/29/25; versus UNCG on 4/19/25; and versus Presbyterian on 5/9/25 … Collected a career-high five RBI versus Gardner-Webb on 4/25/25 … Recorded 19 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long 11-game hitting streak and a career-long 25-game reached base streak … Made his USC Upstate debut as the starting centerfielder versus Boston College on 2/14/25.

Chris Torres | Left-Handed Pitcher | Sophomore | West Springfield, Mass.
Named Second Team All-Big South … Named Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week on 3/24/25; 5/5/25; and 5/12/25 … Appeared in 15 games, making 14 starts and one relief appearance … Tossed 70.1 innings, striking out 71 batters … Posted a 9.09 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 7-4 record with a 4.99 ERA and .297 opponents' batting average … Tossed a career-long 7.0 innings versus Gardner-Webb on 4/27/25 … Struck out a career-high 10 over 6.0 innings of work versus Charleston Southern on 3/23/25 … Recorded two scoreless outings and eight quality starts on the season … Made his USC Upstate debut with 3.2 innings of work as the starting pitcher versus Boston College on 2/16/25.

Darin Kuskie | Right-Handed Pitcher | Sophomore | Clarksburg, Md.
Named Second Team All-Big South … Appeared in 14 games, making 10 starts and four relief appearances … Tossed 52.1 innings, striking out 58 batters … Posted a 9.97 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 5-1 record with a 4.99 ERA and .254 opponents' batting average … Tossed a career-long 6.1 innings versus UNCG on 4/17/25 … Struck out a career-high eight over 6.0 innings of work versus Longwood on 5/3/25 … Recorded three scoreless outings and two quality starts on the season.

Cooper Ellingworth | Right-Handed Pitcher | Sophomore | Orlando, Fla.
Named Second Team All-Big South … Appeared in 21 games, making four starts and 17 relief appearances … Tossed 46.1 innings, striking out 49 batters … Posted a 9.52 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 0-1 record and two saves with a 4.47 ERA and .275 opponents' batting average … Tossed a career-long-tying 5.0 innings while striking out a season-high six versus Bowling Green on 2/21/25 … Recorded 11 scoreless outings on the season.

Max Bianchini | Right-Handed Pitcher | Redshirt Sophomore | Schaumberg, Ill.
Named Honorable Mention All-Big South … Named Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week on 4/28/25 … Appeared in 22 games, making one start and 21 relief appearances … Tossed 47.0 innings, striking out 37 batters … Posted a 7.09 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 5-3 record and one save with a 4.21 ERA and .251 opponents' batting average … Tossed a career-long 5.0 innings versus UNCG on 4/18/25 … Struck out a career-high four over 2.0 innings of work versus Charleston Southern on 3/23/25 … Recorded seven scoreless outings on the season … Made his USC Upstate debut with 3.0 innings of work out of the bullpen versus Boston College on 2/14/25.

Henry Zenor | Outfielder | Redshirt Freshman | St. Louis, Mo.
Named Honorable Mention All-Big South … Named to the Big South All-Freshman Team … Named Big South Freshman of the Week on 3/11/25; 4/14/25; and 5/12/25 … Appeared in 54 games, making 53 starts … Posted a three-slash line of .354/.451/.522 … Collected 59 runs, 74 hits, 20 doubles, five home runs, and 37 RBI … Drew 37 walks and four HBP … Stole five bases in eight attempts … Recorded a career-high three hits on nine occasions: versus UMass Lowell on 3/1/25; versus UMass Lowell on 3/2/25; versus NC State on 3/25/25; versus Winthrop on 4/11/25; versus Winthrop on 4/13/25; versus UNCG on 4/19/25; versus Longwood on 5/4/25; versus Georgia State on 5/7/25; and versus College of Charleston on 5/13/24 … Collected a career-high two RBI on 10 occasions: versus Boston College on 2/16/25; versus Wofford on 3/19/25; versus Charleston Southern on 3/21/25; versus ETSU on 3/28/25; versus Winthrop on 4/11/25; versus Winthrop on 4/13/25; versus Longwood on 5/4/25; versus Georgia State on 5/7/25; versus Presbyterian on 5/10/25; and versus Presbyterian on 5/10/25 … Recorded 24 multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long nine-game hitting streak and a career-long 22-game reached base streak … Made his USC Upstate debut as the starting rightfielder versus Boston College on 2/14/25.

Braden Consaul | Right-Handed Pitcher | Junior | Rochester, N.Y.
Named to the Big South All-Academic Team … Appeared in 19 games, making two starts and 17 relief appearances … Tossed 28.2 innings, striking out 28 batters … Posted an 8.79 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded an 0-2 record and one save with a 3.45 ERA and .216 opponents' batting average … Tossed a season-high 4.0 innings on two occasions: versus Stetson on 3/12/25 and versus Presbyterian on 5/9/25 … Struck out a career-high six over 4.0 innings of work versus Presbyterian on 5/9/25 … Recorded 12 scoreless outings on the season.

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Players Mentioned

Max Bianchini

Scott Campbell

Braden Consaul

Cooper Ellingworth

Darin Kuskie

Preston Lucas

Scott Newman

Amp Phillips

Vance Sheahan

Johnny Sweeney

Chris Torres

Henry Zenor

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