NEWS
Four Wildcats Secure ABCA All-Atlantic Honors
Trevor Candelaria, Michael Carico, Blake Hely, and Nolan DeVos
Having helped Davidson to a program-best 43 wins, four Wildcats have been selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Atlantic Region Team, the ABCA announced Wednesday.
Catcher Michael Carico was named to the First Team, while pitchers Blake Hely and Nolan DeVos and outfielder Trevor Candelaria earned Second Team honors. They are the first Wildcats selected ABCA All-Region since 2017 (outfielder Will Robertson), and four selections is a Davidson-best.
“These four individually, and ultimately collectively, had huge impacts on our season and program,” said coach Rucker Taylor. “Each guy took a daily, consistent approach to their season and had great results to show for it at the end of the year.”
Carico, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, helped lead the Wildcats to the program’s first outright regular-season conference crown. As a sophomore, he led the nation with a .559 on-base percentage, hit .406, slugged .843 and set multiple Davidson single-season marks, including 21 home runs, which was just one of his league-leading statistics. Since the season ended, he’s been named a finalist for two national awards and to Collegiate Baseball’s All-American Second Team.
The A-10 Pitcher of the Year, Hely completed his Davidson career with a 9-2 campaign. He posted a 3.80 ERA and struck out 97 in 85.1 innings (10.23 strikeouts per nine innings), while holding opponents to a .207 batting average. He led the A-10 with just 6.86 hits allowed per nine innings.
As a junior, DeVos also had a stellar season on the mound, leading the A-10 with a 2.40 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 12.13 strikeouts per nine innings. In 78.2 innings, he was 9-2 and held opposing hitters to a .216 average. After transitioning from the closer role to Davidson’s Friday starter, DeVos was an A-10 First Team pick for the second straight year.
Candelaria’s final season in a Wildcat uniform was marked with consistency and a second straight A-10 First Team honor. The right fielder hit .342 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, 13 steals and a Davidson single-season record 62 RBIs. Hitting second in the order, Candelaria led the Wildcats with 28 multi-hit games and had a 44-game reached-base streak.