By: Michael Banks, Gulf South Conference
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Despite being nearly three weeks into the 2010 college baseball season, a pair of Gulf South Conference squads garnered national recognition in one of the top baseball publications in the country.
Southern Arkansas and Harding captured the eyes of writer John Manuel in Baseball America’s® annual College Preview (Issue No. 1005; Feb. 22-Mar. 7), identified in the magazine’s “Players to Watch”, “Top 2010 Draft Prospects” and “Quick Hits” sections.
SAU (5-2), currently No. 4 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s® Top 30, boasts two “Players to Watch” in second baseman Cannon Lester 
and starting pitcher Hayden Simpson. Lester, a senior from El Dorado, Ark., was named First Team All-America by Rawlings®/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) ® and Daktronics® while earning Second Team honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) ® at second base last season. This season, the two-time All-GSC member and three-time GSC West Division Player of the Week has transitioned to third base, allowing senior Nick Paschal to move into the lineup at second base.
Simpson was not only named a “Player to Watch” but was also predicted to finish as National Pitcher of the Year and is No. 8 among Division II’s Top 10 Draft Prospects for 2010. The hometown junior from Magnolia has dominated hitters and opposing teams in his first two seasons and is picking up where he left off once again this year. In two years and including two games this season, Simpson is a
staggering 24-1 in 26 starts, boasts a 2.73 ERA with seven complete games, four shutouts, a no-hitter and 210 strikeouts in 35 total appearances. Just as impressive is the right-hander’s .190 opponent’s batting average, surrendering just 124 hits and walking only 88 in 184.1 innings pitched. Last season Simpson was a unanimous First Team All-America and All-GSC selection while taking home South Region Pitcher of the Year honors from all three organizations as well (Rawlings/ABCA, Daktronics, NCBWA). Simpson collected the first GSC West Division Pitcher of the Week honor this season, his seventh career accolade, giving him more weekly laurels than any player or pitcher in Conference history.
In Manuel’s “Quick Hits” section, HU siblings Jason and Patrick Nappi are mentioned along with Simpson and SAU starting pitcher Matt Speake. Jason transferred from Mississippi State University to play alongside his brother Patrick, a pitcher that transferred from the University of Alabama. The Birmingham natives have already made an impact for the squad, specifically Jason. The junior homered in his first at-bat as a Bison, a two-run shot at No. 10 Abilene Christian (Texas), before belting a grand slam in his third trip to the plate. In the four-game series against the Wildcats, Jason played four different positions (catcher, first base, third base and designated hitter) while going 6-for-12 with eight RBI, five runs scored, a pair of home runs, three walks and a stolen base.
Speake, a senior, transferred to Magnolia from Texas A&M University last season. The Tyler, Texas native is the current GSC West Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete game gem at then-No. 4 Tampa this past weekend, leading the Muleriders to a 3-1 series victory over the Spartans.
