LAKE CHARLES – McNeese pitcher Cameron Foster has been selected as the 2022 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Year, the LSWA organization announced on Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the All-Louisiana Baseball Teams.
 
Foster, recently drafted by the New York Mets in the 14^th round of this year's MLB Draft, also earned first team All-Louisiana honors while outfielder Payton Harden garnered second team honors. Second baseman Brad Burckel, in his first year as a Cowboy, received honorable mention accolades.
 
An ABCA All-American (third team honors) in 2022, along with being named the Southland Conference Relief Pitcher of the Year, Foster compiled a 4-2 record with a 1.86 ERA, 12 saves and a remarkable 0.87 WHIP. His saves total matched a single-season school record. He struck out 84 batters in 63 innings pitched while making a team-high 29 appearances.
 
A Houston native, Foster led the conference in six different categories including saves (12), ERA (1.86), strikeouts (84), batting average against (.164), hits allowed (35), and runs allowed (17). He ranked second in the conference in walks allowed with 20.
 
Harden, a junior center fielder, was selected as the 2022 Southland Conference Hitter of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year in addition to being named to the ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Second Team. He became just the fifth Cowboy player to earned the conference player of the year award.
 
Harden led the conference with a .378 batting average as well as in total hits (85), triples (4) and stolen bases (26). His 85 hits ranked tied as the second-most in school history. He'll enter his final season with 252 career hits, two shy of the school's all-time record of 254.
 
In his first season as a Cowboy, Burckel finished second in the conference in batting with a .373 average and with 81 total hits. He ranked third in slugging (.618), OPS (1.077), runs scored (62) and triples (3). He also tied for the team lead with 10 home runs and 44 runs batted in.
 
He earned second team all-SLC honors and was named to the ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Second Team.
 
In addition to Foster earning Pitcher of the Year honors, Dylan Crew of LSU was named the state's Hitter of the Year; Ryan Harland of Louisiana Tech the Freshman of the Year; Jacob Berry of LSU, Newcomer of the Year; and Brad Neffendorf of LSU-Shreveport, Coach of the Year.
 
2022 LOUISIANA SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION COLLEGE BASEBALL TEAM 
 
HITTER OF THE YEAR – Dylan Crews, LSU 
PITCHER OF THE YEAR – Cameron Foster, McNeese 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Ryan Harland, Louisiana Tech 
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Jacob Berry, LSU 
COACH OF THE YEAR – Brad Neffendorf, LSU-Shreveport 
 
FIRST TEAM 
P – Kyle Crigger, Louisiana Tech – First-Team All C-USA; ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team 
P – Cameron Foster, McNeese – NCBWA Third-Team All-America; SLC Relief Pitcher of the Year  
P – Ma'Khail Hilliard, LSU – ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team 
P – Kevin Miranda, LSU-Shreveport – NAIA Second-Team All-America; RRAC Pitcher of the Year 
C – John Garcia, Grambling – ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team; First-Team All-SWAC 
1B – Carson Roccaforte, Louisiana – ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team; First-Team All-Sun Belt 
2B – Amani Larry, New Orleans – ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team; SLC Newcomer of the Year 
3B – Jacob Berry, LSU – 4x All-America; ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team 
SS – Taylor Young, Louisiana Tech – ABCA/Rawlings First-Team All-America; C-USA Tournament MVP 
OF – Dylan Crews, LSU – 4x All-America; SEC Co-Player of the Year 
OF – Ethan Groff, Tulane – ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team 
OF – Cole McConnell, Louisiana Tech - ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team; First-Team All C-USA 
DH – Luke Clement, Loyola (N.O.) – First-Team All-SSAC; SSAC All-Tournament Team 
Utility – Shemar Page, Grambling – Second-Team All-America; SWAC Pitcher of the Year 
 
SECOND TEAM 
P – Bo Bonds, Louisiana  
P – Jonathan Fincher, Louisiana Tech  
P – Paul Gervase, LSU  
P – Bobby Vath, LSU-Shreveport 
C – Julian Brock, Louisiana 
1B – Preston Faulkner, Southeastern 
2B – Cade Doughty, LSU 
3B – Julian Flores, LSU-Shreveport 
SS – Austin McNicholas, LSU-Shreveport 
OF – Payton Harden, McNeese 
OF – Pearce Howard, New Orleans 
OF – Steele Netterville, Louisiana Tech 
DH – Connor Kimple, Louisiana 
Utility – Preston Ludwick, Centenary College 
 
Honorable Mention 
P – Tyler Herrera, Centenary; Patrick Vienne, LSU-Eunice; C – Jorge Corona, Louisiana Tech; 1B – Tre' Morgan, LSU; 2B – Brad Burckel, McNeese; 3B – Allen Dennis, Loyola; OF – Mason Holt, ULM; Ryan Major, LSU-Shreveport; DH – Brayden Jobert, LSU.