Anderson Named ASUN Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year; Joined by Betts on ASUN All-Academic Team

Liberty outfielder Aaron Anderson has been selected as the 2022 ASUN Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced this morning. Catcher Gray Betts joined Anderson on the 2022 ASUN All-Academic team.

The team honors players for both their achievements in the classroom and on the field. Anderson and Betts earned their second selection to the team, as both Flames were selected to the 2021 ASUN All-Academic team.

Anderson is the program’s fifth conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the first ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The outfielder posted a 4.0 GPA while earning his master’s degree in business administration.

The senior is one of three Flames to have started all 53 games this season. He leads the Flames with a .313 batting average and 67 hits. He has 38 RBI and 38 runs scored. The Jacksonville, Fla., native is among the top 10 in ASUN with 16 doubles and is in the top 15 in the conference with a .424 on base percentage. Anderson leads the Flames with 21 multi-hit games and has hit five home runs in 2022.

Anderson was selected to the 2021 CoSIDA Division I Academic All-American first team and the 2021 ASUN Conference All-Academic team. The outfielder was also named to the 2021 ASUN All-Conference first team and All-Tournament teams.

Betts completed his degree in accounting with a 3.92 GPA this spring. A 2021 ASUN  All-Academic team member, he was selected to the 2021 CoSIDA District 3 All-Academic team and has been a member of the ASUN Honor Roll three times.

The 2022 Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Watch List member enters the week with a .298 batting average with 32 RBI and 34 runs scored. The Raleigh, N.C. native has 13 doubles and has hit a career-high six home runs. He has 18 multi-hit games this season and is third in the ASUN runners caught stealing having thrown out 14 would-be base stealers this season. He was selected the ASUN Player of the Week for Feb. 21 after taking two out of three games in a season-opening series at Florida.

Last season, Betts was named to the 2021 ASUN All-Conference first team and the 2021 NCAA Knoxville, Tenn. Regional team.

The No. 1 seed Liberty Flames, 33-20, will face the No. 4 seed and tournament host FGCU Eagles, today on the opening day of the 2022 ASUN Baseball Championship at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.

The ASUN will announce its conference awards and all-conference team later this morning.

2022 ASUN All-Academic Team

Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Aaron Anderson, Liberty

Tyler Cleveland, Central Arkansas

Kolby Johnson, Central Arkansas

Brian Ellis, FGCU

Alex Carignan, Jacksonville State

Cole Frederick, Jacksonville State

Tyler Simon, Kennesaw State

Gray Betts, Liberty

Maddux Houghton, Lipscomb

Rudy Maxwell, Lipscomb

Reid Homan, North Alabama

Brock Edge, North Florida

Peter Holden, North Florida