FIVE HOOTS HONORED WITH ALL-SBL SELECTIONS

COLUMBUS, GA - The Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots announced today that several players were named to year-end honors by the SunBelt Baseball League this week.

Pitchers William Turner and Luke Norman, infielders Conner O’Neal and Parker Lester, plus outfielder Zane Ross have all been named to the All-SBL Team for the 2023 season.

Turner (Auburn University) led all pitchers in strikeouts with 55, and finished tied for first in wins with six. His 0.99 ERA was also third-best in the league. His teammate Norman  appeared in 16 games with an even lower 0.61 ERA across 14.2 innings of work, where he struck out 23 and walked 11 while compiling a 1-0 record. 

O’Neal finished the season hitting .386 after flirting with the .400 mark almost the entire year. That average was good for second in the SBL. O’Neal’s 29 RBIs led the SBL, and his four home runs tied for the league lead. Defensively, O’Neal finished the season with a stellar .980 fielding percentage at first base and an even better .982 behind the plate.

Lester also had a fine offensive campaign, hitting well above the .400 mark most of the way before finishing with a .326 average. Lester was second on the team in doubles with six and home runs with two, and his 10 stolen bases was also second on the team. Defensively he was close to O’Neal as well, ending the campaign with a .970 fielding percentage at first base and was perfect in limited action at second (24 innings, 8 putouts, 4 assists).

Ross ended the campaign with 21 RBIs, second league-wide only to his teammate O’Neal. Ross was second on the team with 14 stolen bases as well. In the field Ross was perfect in both left and right. His 140 innings in right field was third across the league (37 putouts, 2 assists) and his 83.2 innings in left field (16 putouts) still placed him eighth in the SBL in that position.

The entire Ignite Sports and Entertainment family congratulates everyone on their honors, and on a tremendous season for the Chatt-a-Hoots team. We look forward to the 2024 season, and keep your browser pointed to GoHoots.com for information on tickets and scheduling when it becomes available.