SAC, AstroTurf present MHU Senior Spotlights, Pt. 2

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – In light of the recent events of the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the remainder of the 2020 South Atlantic Conference spring sports seasons, the SAC along with its corporate partner AstroTurf, will be presenting the SAC AstroTurf Senior Spotlights. These highlights will showcase the spring sports teams at each of our 12 institutions and will give fans a brief overview of the team's shortened season, while highlighting the 2020 senior student-athletes on each team. 

We continue our AstroTurf Senior Spotlights with the Mars Hill University Lions and the baseball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, and women's track and field teams.

BASEBALL

Under the direction of new head coach Hunter Bryant, the Lions went 7-16 overall and 4-5 in the South Atlantic Conference.  The Lions picked up SAC wins over UVa-Wise, Carson-Newman, and Queens.

Leading the Lions' senior class was infielder Cody Cline.  Cline appeared in 21 games for the Lions, hitting .367 with 15 RBI and 16 runs scored.  He had a .617 slugging percentage, second best on the team and added two home runs.  He was third on the team with 23 hits on the season.  Cline also picked up his first collegiate win, going four innings versus Carson-Newman in their series opener.

Harrison Keslar appeared in six games for the Lions in 2020.  The speedy, scrappy outfielder was reliable in center field, possessing a 1.000 fielding percentage, collecting seven putouts. 

Bianchini, a left-handed reliever, appeared in three games for Mars Hill, striking out three batters in two innings pitched while posting a 4.50 ERA.

Devin Mangum appeared in 12 games for Mars Hill in 2020.  Mangum nabbed three hits and drew five walks while going a perfect 9-for-9 in the outfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Ryan Steffens appeared in eight games for the Lions.  Despite the result, the senior's standout game came in his final appearance versus Erskine.  Steffens went seven and a third innings strong, striking out five batters.

Austin Marler battled injuries throughout his whole career at The Hill, but managed to appear in two games for the Lions during his final campaign, throwing two innings and notching one strikeout.

2020 Mars Hill Lions Baseball Seniors

WOMEN'S GOLF
The Mars Hill women's golf team had three top-10 finishes, including a pair of top-five finishes during the 2019-20 season. 

Jasmine Chesnut was the lone Lions' senior for the women's golf team.  Chesnut's standout performance came at the Pfeiffer Spring Invitational as she placed eighth overall, helping lead the Lions to a fifth-place finish.

2020 Mars Hill Lions Women's Golf Seniors

MEN'S GOLF
The Lions men's golf team closed out the year with two top-10 finishes, including a fourth place showing at the Mars Hill Fall Invitational.

Mars Hill had two seniors in the spring in Nicholas Boone and Christian Ethier.

Boone was consistently a top finisher for Mars Hill with his senior season highlight coming at the Mars Hill University Fall Invitational.  Leading the Lions to a fourth-place finish, Boone placed fifth overall, shooting two-under. 

Ethier appeared in all four tournaments his senior year with three performances as part of the Mars Hill B-Team.  Ethier made the jump to the A-Team for their lone spring tournament, the Pfeiffer Invitational.  He, along with Boone, helped lead the Lions to a seventh-place finish.

2020 Mars Hill Lions Men's Golf Seniors

WOMEN'S TENNIS
Mars Hill women's tennis posted a 2-7 record in 2019-2020 with wins coming over Montreat and King.

Evan Lake battled injuries for a majority of her senior season.  While Lake did not see much time on the court during the 2019-20 season, she contributed greatly to other student's successes by being a math tutor for the university.  Looking back at Lake's career, her defining season came in 2017-18, where she posted six wins, including her first three of the year.

Sophia Pelaez balanced time as a tennis player along with being a student athlete trainer, assisting with women's soccer this past season.  Her most storied year came last season where she led all Lions with eight wins in singles action including a five-match win streak that stretched from October 2 thru October 25.

2020 Mars Hill Lions Women's Tennis Seniors

MEN'S TENNIS
Mars Hill men's tennis posted a 2-7 record in 2019-2020 with wins coming over Montreat and Milligan.

Fernando Neto posted a 2-7 record in his senior campaign in singles' action and found doubles' success with Leo Bernardes as the team went 2-2.  Neto's best season came last year when he posted seven wins.

Kyrel Trim went 4-5 in singles competition this season and was instrumental in the Lions' 4-3 win over Milligan in the fall.  With the match tied at three heading into the final singles tilt, Trim capped off the comeback with a thrilling three-set win to secure the match.  While his success on court was evident, Trim served as the Supplemental Instruction Fellow for Anatomy for the university. 

2020 Mars Hill Lions Men's Tennis Seniors

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Lions placed 10^th at the 2020 SAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, highlighted by a record-breaking performance by Shaniqua Stevens.

Stevens won the triple jump with a mark of 11.92 meters.  Following up her successes from last season, Stevens, along with teammate Tiffany Holloway, was named to the USTFCCA All-Region team for the second straight season.

Sydney Britt has been a member of both the cross country and track and field team all four years at The Hill.  Specializing in the 800-meter, Britt's best performance came at the JDL January College Kick-Off in January, placing 15^th overall.  She also was a member of the Mars Hill Spirt Team during the 2019-20 season.

Rachel Strickland, like Britt, was also a member of both the cross country and track and field teams during her time at Mars Hill.  Her standout performance this season was at the South Carolina Invitational, turning in a time of 11:47.23 in the 3,000-meter.

Arriel Smith was a consistent sprinter for the Lions over her four-year career.  Smith is a nursing major and holds the record in the 400-meter at her alma mater, Parkwood High School.

2020 Mars Hill Lions Women's Track & Field Seniors

AstroTurf is an official corporate partner of the South Atlantic Conference and title sponsor of the Conference's Player of the Week awards program