NEW ORLEANS – App State Baseball junior right-handed pitcher
Gage Peterson was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, while he, along with
Steven Smith,
Charlie Evans and
Colton Denton, earned all-conference honors, the league announced Monday.
Peterson and Smith each garnered first-team honors, while Evans earned a second-team nod. Denton was named to the inaugural all-freshman team. The four all-conference honorees are the most for App State as a Sun Belt member. It also marks the fourth time in the last five years that the Mountaineers have produced either the league's Freshman of the Year or Newcomer of the Year recipient.
Gage Peterson – SP | JR | Jonesborough, Tenn. | David Crockett HS | Walters State CC
Gage Peterson was sensational in his first season with App State. The transfer from Walters State Community College led the Sun Belt in strikeouts with 101, while ranking among league leaders in opponent batting average (.196 – second), wins (eight – tied for second), innings pitched (78.0 – fifth), ERA (3.12 – sixth) and hits allowed (55 – eighth).
Peterson's 101 strikeouts are the second most in App State single-season history, trailing only Xander Hamilton's 115 in 2023. He is the first App State pitcher to win at least four regular-season games without a loss since Ryan Arrowood went 11-0 in 2012. Peterson recorded six quality starts on the season and threw at least five innings in six of his final seven outings. He struck out at least six batters in 13 of his 14 starts this season, highlighted by 11 strikeouts against Presbyterian on March 7 and 10 against ULM on April 11. Peterson also fanned nine in seven scoreless innings against No. 16 Coastal Carolina on March 14.
Steven Smith – SS | SR | Salisbury, N.C. | West Rowan HS | Emory & Henry
Steven Smith has been a huge part of the Mountaineers' success in his first season in Boone. Smith ranks among league leaders in batting average (.371 – fourth), OPS (1.022 - fifth), doubles (18 – tied for seventh), slugging percentage (.575 – 10th), hits (69 – 11th), RBIs (49 – tied for 12th) and runs scored (47 – 14th). He reached base safely in each of his final 32 regular-season games, hitting safely in 27 of those contests.
Smith was named the Mid-Major Performer of the Day on April 7 after bashing two home runs as part of a four-hit game against UNC Asheville and scoring a career-high five runs in the contest. Smith also drove in five runs against Troy on May 2. He has notched 22 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games this season.
A two-way player, the Emory and Henry transfer recorded five scoreless outings in six appearances on the mound. He is the Mountaineers' first two-way player since Phillip Cole and Andrew Terrell in 2021.
Charlie Evans – OF | SR | Levittown, Pa. | Pennsbury HS | Winthrop
App State center fielder
Charlie Evans has been elite both at the plate and in the field this season. The senior from Levittown, Pa., ranks among league leaders in batting average (.377 – third) and triples (4 – tied for third). He also recorded hits in 32 of his final 35 regular-season contests, including a 22-game hitting streak, the fifth-longest in App State program history. Evans is the league's leading hitter in conference play, batting .420 against Sun Belt foes while also ranking among league leaders in triples, hits, OPS, on-base percentage and runs scored.
Evans hit two home runs during the Mountaineers' 10-0 win over James Madison on April 17 and tallied two triples in the April 11 game against ULM, becoming the first Mountaineer to triple twice in a contest since 2009. His second triple marked his 100th collegiate hit. Evans tripled again a day later and finished a home run shy of the cycle in the series finale. He has recorded 22 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games this season while leading the team with 10 stolen bases. Evans has also been an exceptional defender, ranking third nationally among center fielders with 12.12 defensive runs saved.
Colton Denton – C | FR | Knoxville, Tenn. | Hardin Valley Academy
As a true freshman,
Colton Denton made 31 appearances, including 27 starts, with 26 of those coming behind the plate. He batted .290 on the season, but that average bumped up to .344 against Sun Belt opponents. He registered 29 hits and scored 20 runs on the season. Denton also served as the battery mate for
Gage Peterson, who led the Sun Belt in strikeouts while ranking among league leaders in ERA, wins and opponent batting average.
Behind its four all-conference selections, App State Baseball recorded 30 wins for the third time in the last four years, while finishing with a program-best 17 Sun Belt victories. The third-seeded Mountaineers will open Sun Belt Tournament play on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET against sixth-seeded Texas State.
The 2026 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
