SENATOBIA – All-Conference awards were announced on Wednesday afternoon by the Mississippi Association of Community College Conference for baseball, and after finishing the year in the top six of the standings, the Rangers had plenty of accolades come their way in the postseason awards, with five student athletes making the team.

Northwest was led by freshman standout South McCoy, who was not only named to the First Team All-MACCC list as a two-way player but was also named to the Second Team All-MACCC list as a designated hitter.

McCoy was the triple crown winner for the Rangers as a hitter, leading the team in qualified batting average with a .377 clip, while also belting out 16 home runs and gathering 57 RBIs. He was also 12-12 in stolen base attempts, had 32 extra base hits in his 63 hits on the season, and scored 52 runs, which was second on the team. McCoy was also savvy at the plate, earning 45 walks to just 21 strikeouts and had an on-base percentage of .511.

As a pitcher, McCoy was also a dominant force for Northwest, posting a 2.23 ERA out of the pen as their closer, finishing the year with seven saves and a 6-2 win-loss record. His 46 strikeouts were third on the team, and he did it in just 36.1 innings of work. This, while only walking 13 batters on the season, and holding hitters against him to just a .216 batting average.

"South was an absolute difference maker," Head Coach Mark Carson said. "He's one of the hardest workers I've ever coached. He is totally committed to everything he does and does everything the right way. He's a gym rat and a guy that you have to run out of there almost every day. He was so clutch for us in about any role we put him in, and he is deserving of everything he's received."

Joining McCoy on the first team was sophomore Mason McMillin, who was another steady force for the Rangers at the plate and in the field. McMillin finished the year with a .302 batting average and was tied for second on the team in home runs with 13, while adding 48 RBIs and leading the team with 54 runs scored. He was also a threat on the bases with nine steals in 11 attempts. On the defensive side, McMillin finished the year with a .979 fielding percentage on 96 chances and was a part of two double plays and had 13 outfield assists.

"Mason did such a wonderful job offensively and defensively," Carson said. "He made some really big plays looking back over the year as a defender out in left field and solidified himself as one of the better hitting outfielders that we've had. He's another worker that just worked himself into being a really good player and really improving while he was with us."

Hallas Lawson was the other member of the Rangers to be named to the second team, holding down the catcher's position for Northwest after a year that saw him battling through injuries. Lawson batted .370 on the year, and while the power numbers don't show off, with only 10 extra base hits on the season, his on-base percentage of .474 was impressive. In 39 games, Lawson scored 42 runs, which was tied for fourth on the team, and he added another 21 RBIs to the list, all while striking out only eight times on the year. He was also 15-15 in stolen bases.

As a defender, Lawson only made six errors in 230 chances for a .974 fielding percentage, and he threw out over 27 percent of base stealers against him.

"There are a lot of words you can use to describe Hallas Lawson, but I think the best one is just warrior," Carson said. "I told him and his parents that. He's just a guy that had to play hurt so many days, and every day you knew you were going to get his best shot. He's very deserving of the honor and of everything he gets. Just a guy that does it the right way and is tough, and you have to be tough to be a catcher, and there is no doubt he is one of the toughest ones I've ever coached."

Closing out the list were a pair of Honorable Mentions for the Rangers, with sophomore Mason Gillentine earning a nod as an outfielder and freshman Preston Johnson picking up a spot as a two-way player.

Gillentine was another Ranger who battled injury throughout the season and finished with a .301 batting average and a .407 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot for Northwest. Gillentine played in 42 games, starting 39, and scored 40 runs while driving in 30 RBIs. While he also only had ten extra base hits, he did hit five home runs and was 14-17 in stolen base attempts. He was also a strong defender, finishing with a .980 fielding percentage with only two errors in 99 opportunities.

"When you look at Mason Gillentine, he is just a winner," Carson said. "He gives everything he's got. He played hurt most of the year and probably played hurt more than I know because every time I asked him about his leg, he was perfectly fine, but I knew he was having to play with it wrapped up with therapy three times a day. He's just another guy that gave us everything he had, and we are really looking forward to watching him at Delta State."

Johnson made his presence known immediately for the Rangers, hitting a home run in his first career at-bat, and working his way from a role player to an everyday starter for Northwest by the end of the season.

As a two-way player, Johnson was a strong hitter, swinging for a .427 batting average, although he didn't have enough ABs to qualify for the top average on the team, with only 82 on the season. He took advantage of what he got, though, picking up 13 extra base hits, including four home runs, and finished with 28 runs scored and 22 RBIs, while picking up an on-base percentage of .529.

Defensively at second base, Johnson constantly showed his range, finishing the year with a .972 fielding percentage after only making three errors on 108 chances and helping to turn seven double plays.

That success also translated to the mound, where he was one of the more reliable middle relievers for the Rangers, making 15 appearances with a 3.90 ERA in 27.2 innings of work. His 5-2 record speaks to the quality of his outings, and while his strikeout rate was less than one an inning, he only walked four batters during the season.

"Preston is one of those guys who shows up at the park every day, and you are going to get his best," Carson said. "He's such a great teammate that everybody pulls for him, and he's just that guy that when he walks up there to hit, or onto the mound, or out at second, you are going to get a high motor and a guy that does everything at 100 percent. He solidified himself as a strong returner for us, and he is going to do big things next year as well."

All-Region and All-American lists are expected to be released in the coming weeks. Follow along on nwccrangers.com for updates on postseason awards, or stay up to date with Northwest athletics by following along on social media.