Jesse Lancaster earns A-A accolades

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 17, 2009 1:46 PM

• Print
• Email

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive outfielder Jesse Lancaster, who helped lead Mount Olive to the 2008 NCAA Division II College World Series title, has been named a third-team preseason All-American by the NCBWA.

A senior left fielder from Goldsboro, Lancaster batted a crisp .358 last season with five home runs, 14 doubles, 56 runs scored and 29 RBI. He swiped 24 bases, giving him 50 successful steals over the past two seasons.

"It's an honor," said Lancaster, who has a career .340 batting average. "It's something I haven't accomplished to this point. It's more of a challenge and of course something I would like to live up to."

Lancaster has begun preparation for this season. He'd like nothing more than to reclaim the Conference Carolinas regular-season and tournament championships, and bring home another CWS crown for his dad -- MOC head coach Carl Lancaster. Belmont Abbey won the championship last season and finished among the top four at the CWS, which was played in Cary.

"I've put in a ton hard work this past month," said Lancaster. "It's my last year and I just want to enjoy it. You enjoy it more if you're winning and that's my goal is trying to help us win conference and national championships."

A two-time all-conference selection and former freshman of the year, Lancaster also excels in the classroom. He is a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection, including first-team accolades for 2009. He was also named to the Conference Carolinas All-Academic team for 2008-09.

The Trojans open their season Feb. 6, 2010 against in-state rival Lenoir-Rhyne College. The three-game series will be contested at Scarborough Field on the MOC campus.

Editor's note: MOC sports information director David Shulimson contributed to this story.