The arrow is trending up for Panther baseball.
After a difficult 3-10 season in 2021, the past two years have seen steady improvement from the program, which has posted records of 9-9 and 11-10 in its first two years under head coach Jared Greenwood. Following the 2023 campaign, Mountain Seven Conference coaches gathered for their annual postseason meeting, where they named four Panther players to this year’s All-Conference team. Below, The Franklin Press will recount the seasons of these four Panthers in alphabetical order.
Davis Anders
Franklin’s veteran leader and one of its best players on both sides of the ball, Davis Anders capped a stellar career with an even better senior season this spring.
On offense, it’s hard to envision a better campaign than Anders had this spring, leading the conference in both batting average (.460) and slugging percentage (.778). At times, his expertise at catcher seemed to help him read the minds of pitchers, routinely laying off tough pitches and punishing mistakes with home run power. His 29 hits, 19 RBIs, 13 extra-base hits and three home runs all led the team, while his 15 runs scored ranked behind only speedy baserunners Tyler Williams and Ian Knepp. Such was Anders’ mastery of the art of war with pitchers that he drew more walks (11) than strikeouts on the year (9).
At catcher, Anders matched his hitting prowess with stellar defense behind the plate, routinely making superb stops on wild pitches and helping Franklin’s hurlers outsmart opposing hitters. Easily leading the team with 142 total chances, the senior committed just two errors all season. Anders was also named First Team All-WNC by the Asheville Citizen-Times.
“[He’s] a senior that has been a four-year starter, and had a great year at the plate,” said Greenwood. “[He’s] probably one of the top feared hitters in the conference. He has the ability to leave the yard in all fields and in any situation. He’s done a great job for several years behind the plate, so that was really a no-brainer.”
Caleb Cloer
As Franklin’s breakout star of 2023, few could have predicted the type of year Caleb Cloer had in 2023.
On offense, the senior joined Anders to form the Mountain Seven’s most feared hitting duo, finishing third conference-wide with a .423 average and fifth with a .519 slugging percentage. Cloer’s 22 hits, .524 on-base percentage and 1.043 OPS (on-base plus slugging) ranked second only to his fellow senior, while his 15 RBIs and five doubles ranked third. He was also one of the most dangerous Panthers on the basepath, finishing second with nine stolen bags on the year.
In right field, Cloer excelled at making long runs to chase down fly balls, and had the arm strength and accuracy to gun down baserunners from hundreds of feet. In 29 total chances, the senior posted 23 putouts, three assists and three errors, good for a .897 fielding percentage. Cloer was also named Second Team All-WNC by the Asheville Citizen-Times.
“Caleb came out of nowhere,” said Greenwood. “Caleb did not have the year he wanted last year as a junior, and really put in the work that was necessary last fall and through the winter. He just wanted an opportunity to play, and I gave him an opportunity, and he did the rest. He started hot and never looked back. I think he hit over .500 for the majority of the season, and was very solid in right field. I think he led our team as far as the big outfield assists that everybody wants to see – he had several. Again, that was a no-brainer in the All-Conference meeting.”
Ian Knepp
With airtight defense at shortstop and a consistent approach at the plate, Ian Knepp was one of Franklin’s most valuable players this spring.
On offense, Knepp seemed to always have a knack for getting on base, finishing fourth on the team with 18 hits and third with a .408 on-base percentage (among Panthers with more than five plate appearances). Once on base, the speedy junior was difficult to throw out on the basepath, finishing second on the team with 16 runs scored and tying for third with five stolen bases.
On defense, Knepp served as the anchor for Franklin’s infield, routinely gloving tough grounders and making pinpoint off-balance throws. In 68 total chances, the shortstop posted 39 putouts, 22 assists and a team-leading seven double plays, good for a robust .897 fielding percentage.
“Ian played great, and was kind of our rock in the infield,” said Greenwood. “He was pretty much solid all year defensively, and he’s one of those kinds of pesky hitters where you turn around and he’s always on base, he’s always moving runners over, he’s always doing his job at the plate. He’s gonna grind and he had a great year, but he really was the glue of that defense around the diamond. That was well-deserved.”
Josiah Hursey
Franklin’s ace and one of the best pitchers in the Mountain Seven, Josiah Hursey kept opposing hitters on their toes in 2023.
With a minuscule 1.26 earned runs average, Hursey led the Mountain Seven by nearly .6 runs per nine innings, keeping opponents off-balance with a deadly arsenal of pitches. In 50 innings spread out over 11 appearances, the junior dealt 54 strikeouts and just 17 walks, retiring more than a quarter of the batters he faced (210) without the ball being put in play. When opponents did manage to make contact, Hursey excelled at gunning them down at first, posting six putouts and five assists in 11 total chances for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
“Probably not a surprise to anybody was Josiah,” said Greenwood of Franklin’s final All-Conference selection. “The guy was in the running for Pitcher of the Year; he dominated every time he stepped on the mound. His stats are pretty crazy – 0.62 [ERA] in-conference, 47 strikeouts – nobody takes comfortable at-bats off of Joe in the entire league. He shut out three out of the six opponents that he threw against, so if you throw three shutouts in our conference, you’re a pretty special arm.”