CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Entering the new campaign as the reigning Big South Regular Season and Tournament champions and an NCAA Clemson Regional appearance, USC Upstate baseball finds itself picked in the top two of the Big South Conference's preseason prognostications for the fifth straight season. The Spartans earned a league-best five Preseason All-Big South selections, the second-most for the program since the preseason team's introduction in 2024.
 
Upstate enters the 2026 campaign following a fifth-straight 35-plus win season, earning 35 victories en route to its two championships last season. The Spartans' five preseason selections, redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Max Bianchini, senior catcher Preston Lucas, fifth-year designated hitter Johnny Sweeney, junior left-handed pitcher Chris Torres, and redshirt sophomore outfielder Henry Zenor all earned All-Big South selections last season.
 
Below are player capsules for the Spartans' Preseason All-Conference honorees recapping their 2025 seasons.
 
Max Bianchini | Right-Handed Pitcher | Redshirt Junior | Schaumburg, Ill.
Named Honorable Mention All-Big South … Named Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week on 4/28/25 … Appeared in 24 games, making one start and 23 relief appearances … Tossed 50.0 innings, striking out 39 batters … Posted a 7.02 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded a 5-3 record and one save with a 4.32 ERA and .254 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.
 
Preston Lucas | Catcher | Senior | Phoenix, Ariz.
Named First Team All-Big South … Named to the Big South All-Tournament Team ... Appeared in 59 games, making 53 starts … Posted a three-slash line of .337/.439/.526 … Collected 45 runs, 64 hits, 19 doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 63 RBI … Drew 30 walks and 11 HBP … Stole three bases in six 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 21 multi-hit and 18 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long six-game hitting streak and a career-long 28-game reached base streak … Concluded the season on a five-game hitting streak and 28-game reached base streak ... Made his USC Upstate debut as the starting catcher versus Boston College on 2/14/25.
 
Johnny Sweeney | Designated Hitter | Fifth-Year | Millstadt, Ill.
Named American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings First Team All-American ... Named ABCA/Rawling First Team All-Region ... Named 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 57 games, making 57 starts … Posted a three-slash line of .345/.500/.701 … Collected 60 runs, 67 hits, 15 doubles, 18 home runs, and 82 RBI … Drew 42 walks and 21 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 18 multi-RBI games … Posted a career-long 10-game hitting streak and a career-long 19-game reached base streak ... Set the single-season program mark for RBI (82) ... Set the single-season Division I era (2007-pres.) marks for RBI (82), walks (42), and on-base percentage (.500) ... Concluded the season on a two-game reached base streak.
 
Chris Torres | Left-Handed Pitcher | Junior | 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 17 games, making 16 starts and one relief appearance … Tossed 81.1 innings, striking out 78 batters … Posted an 8.63 strikeout per nine innings total … Recorded an 8-4 record with a 4.76 ERA and .288 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 nine 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.
 
Henry Zenor | Outfielder | Redshirt Sophomore | St. Louis, Mo.
Named Second Team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball ... Named to the Big South All-Tournament Team ... 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 11 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; versus College of Charleston on 5/13/25; versus High Point on 5/23/25; and versus Charleston Southern on 5/24/25 … Collected a career-high two RBI on 11 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; versus Presbyterian on 5/10/25; and versus Winthrop on 5/22/25 … Recorded 26 multi-hit and 11 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.
 
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