Liberty outfielder D.J. Artis(Southeast Guilford High School) has been named the 2016 Big South Freshman of the Year, as the Big South Conference announced its baseball awards and all-conference team this week…..
Selected by the conference’s coaches, Artis was also joined by Andrew Yacyk on the all-conference first team. Yacyk was named to the team as its utility player.
Artis becomes the fifth Flame to be selected the conference’s Freshman of the Year. The outfielder joins pitcher Tim Harrell (1995), outfielder Keith Butler (2000), first baseman Alex Close (2012) and pitcher and Artis’ teammate Parker Bean (2014), as Flames who have received the conference honor.
Artis, also named to the all-conference first team, enters the week among the nation’s top 12 and second in the Big South Conference with a .509 on base percentage. The outfielder is also among the national leaders and second in the conference with 52 bases on balls. Artis has already eclipsed the former Liberty single-season program record of 49 walks set by Jeff Edwards in 1986.
In addition, the Greensboro, N.C., native enters the 2016 Big South Baseball Championship among the conference leaders in batting average (third – .379), hits (fourth – 78), runs scored (sixth – 39), and stolen bases (third – 22). He has nine doubles, three triples, two home runs and 39 RBI, this season.