Albany State’s Addison, Foster earn post-season honors

ALBANY — Albany State’s baseball season may have ended in the SIAC Tournament, but recognition for two of the Golden Rams’ top performers continues to roll in.

Senior third baseman Luke Addison and freshman pitcher Dereck Foster were named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II All-South Region Team, becoming two of only four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference players to receive the honor this season.

Addison earned First Team All-South Region honors at third base after putting together one of the best offensive seasons in the region. Foster was selected to the Second Team as a relief pitcher following a breakout freshman campaign.

For Addison, a Leesburg native and Terrell Academy graduate, the latest honor adds to an already impressive postseason collection that includes First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region recognition.

The senior led Albany State with a .386 batting average, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs this season while helping guide the Golden Rams to a 31-18 record and a second-place finish in the SIAC.

His career numbers are equally impressive. Over four seasons, Addison batted .352 with 44 home runs and 232 RBIs while contributing at multiple positions and on the pitching staff.

Albany State coach Scot Hemmings believes Addison leaves behind a legacy as one of the best players in program history.

“I am really proud of these two,” Hemmings said. “Luke Addison just continues to receive honors and rewards, which is a direct reflection of not only his talent but his hard work and dedication to our program. In today’s sports, you very rarely have guys stick in one place for four years, and it is nice to see a player like Luke hold up his commitment for four years. It’s an honor to sit back and enjoy this time with him.”

While Addison’s success was expected, Foster’s emergence was one of the biggest surprises of the season.

The freshman from Ellenwood and Stockbridge High School developed into one of Albany State’s most dependable bullpen arms. Foster appeared in 16 games, pitching 21 innings with 21 strikeouts and a 2.57 earned run average.

As the season progressed, he earned increasing responsibility and eventually became the Golden Rams’ closer.

“Dereck is a really good success story,” Hemmings said. “He was a guy we added late last year and did not expect him to have too many innings for us until he just kept proving himself. We would put him in and he would get out of a lot of tough jams and ended up being our closer at the end.

“We will look to move him to a starting role next year and are real excited about his future. This is awesome for a freshman to receive this honor. He has worked hard and has proven himself as a front-line arm.”

The NCBWA All-South Region teams recognize the top Division II players throughout the region and are selected by members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

For Albany State, the recognition serves as another reminder of both the production of one of the program’s all-time greats and the promise of a young pitcher expected to play a major role in the Golden Rams’ future.