Junior Hunter Donaldson has been named to the Daktronics All-Southeast Region First Team at the utility pitcher position.
Donaldson received first team accolades after a vote of Sports Information Directors at South Atlantic Conference, Conference Carolinas, and Peach Belt Conference institutions. His inclusion on the all-region first team ensures that Donaldson will appear on the organization’s All-America ballot.
The utility pitcher position is specifically tailored for players like Donaldson who make significant contributions to their team at multiple positions on the diamond, including on the mound. Donaldson turned in a stellar season in 2015 as he developed into the team’s top starting pitcher while playing solid defense at first base and becoming Brevard’s biggest offensive threat.
Donaldson ended the season with a team-high five wins in his nine starts and had a 3.74 ERA, the second-lowest mark on the team. He allowed 1.45 walks and hits per inning pitched and tallied 1.6 strikeouts for every walk he allowed. Despite being a right-handed pitcher, the North Henderson High School product allowed left-handers to hit just .185 against him in 2015 and had a team-low .267 opponents’ batting average.
While he was a steady contributor on the mound all season, Donaldson’s final two regular-season starts helped propel Brevard to its first postseason bid in three years. In a 10-2 win at Anderson on April 3, Donaldson allowed two runs on seven hits in 8.0 innings, striking out seven batters and keeping the dangerous Trojans’ offense at bay. He followed that performance up with a complete-game effort at Tusculum on April 10, again logging seven strikeouts and giving up seven hits in a 5-1 victory.
The following day, Donaldson and J.D. Chaplain became the second Brevard teammates to throw back-to-back nine-inning complete games as the Tornados clinched the series over the Pioneers and earned their way into the postseason for the first time since 2012.
Donaldson was just as deadly at the plate this season, hitting for himself in his starts on the mound in addition to making 32 starts at first base. He sported a team-high .338 batting average and led the team in hits (51), RBI (22), total bases (64), and walks (20). He reached base in nearly 42 percent of his at-bats this season and slugged .424 with 10 doubles and a home run. His 15 multi-hit games led the team, as did his six contests with three or more hits.
In addition to his offensive prowess, Donaldson proved to be a defensive asset to the team as well. His .985 fielding percentage was third on the team among players who accumulated at least 15 chances and was one percentage point off the team lead. He totaled 239 putouts and 18 assists on the season.
This marks the second major postseason award for Donaldson, who was named honorable mention all-conference as a pitcher at the conclusion of the regular season. He will appear on the All-America ballot alongside the seven other first team all-region utility pitchers. Daktronics will announce its All-America squads on Friday, May 22.
Visit the official site of the Brevard College Tornados for more information.